The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has vowed that it will not permit opposition parties to rig future elections in Nigeria, particularly ahead of the 2027 general polls.
In a strongly worded statement released on Wednesday, the party dismissed longstanding allegations that the ruling APC was solely responsible for irregularities during the 2023 general elections.
Lagos APC spokesman Seye Oladejo cited a recent independent statistical analysis, conducted as part oa data science master’s thesis at Pan-Atlantic University, which examined results from over 123,000 polling units nationwide.
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The study, according to the party, revealed that electoral malpractice was not confined to one political party. Instead, it found the highest concentration of statistically significant anomalies in strongholds of the Labour Party (LP), especially in parts of the South-East.
While Lagos State recorded an anomaly rate of just 2.3%, significantly higher figures were reported in Anambra (24.9%), Enugu (16.7%), and Imo (10.9%).
Oladejo highlighted the report’s identification of a disproportionate number of “perfect scores” suspiciously uniform vote distributions in LP-dominated areas, describing them as statistically suspicious.
He argued that these findings undermine claims of rigging orchestrated by the federal government or the ruling party, suggesting instead that irregularities followed “opportunity rather than ideology.”
Some parties accusing others of malpractice may themselves have benefited from such practices, he added.
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The Lagos APC acknowledged the study’s overall conclusion that the 2023 election was neither wholly fraudulent nor entirely free of flaws, but stressed that malpractices have become more subtle, necessitating heightened vigilance.
The party reaffirmed its commitment to electoral integrity, endorsing reforms such as independent audits of election data, real-time transmission of results, enhanced technical capacity for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and prosecution of offenders irrespective of party affiliation.
“Let it be stated without ambiguity: the APC will not allow the opposition to rig forthcoming elections under any guise,” Mr Oladejo declared, warning against misinformation campaigns designed to manipulate public opinion.
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