Nasarawa LG Election: LP fires NASIEC for electoral irregularities

The Nasarawa state local government elections took place on the 2nd of November, 2024, and saw the ruling All Progressive Congress APC grabbing all 13 local government areas in the state. Nevertheless, the Labour Party (LP) has categorically dismissed these results due to a number of perceived and real abnormalities and malpractices that the party has highlighted across the electoral continuum.

The local government elections held in Nasarawa State were conducted by the Nasarawa state independent electoral commission, NASIEC, and the main aim of the election was to show that democracy is at work at the third tier of government. The LP, among other political parties, went to the polls after NASIEC promised to conduct a free and fair poll. But the events that followed after the elections have brought to light so many issues about the validity of elections.

This rejection was elaborated further by the state chairman of the LP, Alexander Ombugu, during the State Executive Council meeting with party candidates. Ombugu went further, accusing NASIEC of using tactics to mislead the party into participating in the poll while it had already predetermined a favorable electoral atmosphere for the APC candidates. He said,

“We are dissatisfied with the outcome of the local government elections conducted on November 2, 2024, in the state. The elections were not held in the polling units. I would prefer calling it a selection rather than an election because the majority of the residents did not take part”

According to Ombugu, some of the electoral officers appointed by NASIEC were servants of the APC in all 13 LGAs. He said that this led to the creation of an environment that is easily manipulated and biased against the opposition parties. Some of the observed anomalies include alleged abductions of ballot papers in areas that were believed to be strongholds for the Labour Party, which led to criticism of the unfair conduct of the voting exercise.

Ombugu further noted that such actions were planned in order to rig the elections in favor of APC.

LP provided an example of how some candidates were prevented from contesting the elections. For instance, Hon. Ede Osu, who intended to contest for the Nassarawa LGA chairmanship, was alleged to have been prevented from paying the double of the N500,000 deposit for the form needed to contest. Ombugu urged NASIEC to refund this amount.

“Since Hon. Ede Osu was excluded from participating because his name was not on the final list released by NASIEC, then the right thing should be for NASIEC to return his N550, 000 back to him”

Also, another candidate, Hon. Friday Ozeegee Haruna, was not able to participate in the election in Ungwar Rimi electoral ward, Keffi LGA, because of the missing requisite election materials. This further enriched the lamentation by the LP of a compromised electoral process.

However, following the allegations by the LP, NASIEC has insisted that the elections were carried out in line with the law. About the concrete accusations of the LP concerning manipulations and irregularities, the commission has not commented in public. However, the APC has rejoiced immediately after the election, alleging that the true verdict of the voters was presented.

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The action of the LP to reject the Nasarawa LG election results is problematic in regards to democracy in Nigeria. All stakeholders and the public in particular demand free and fair elections free from manipulation, influence, or bias by any other person, group, institution, or organization. This is not something unique to Nasarawa; it has become a normal trend in Nigerian elections, with issues of electoral malpractice prevailing within the most recent ones.

Thus, Ombugu said, “We are surprised that NASIEC went ahead and announced winners for the LG elections.”