The Chairman, Contact and Mobilisation/Special Duties of Labour Party and Head of Grassroots Mobilisation of the Obi-Datti 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, Veteran Olawale Okunniyi, who raised the alarm said, “We also frown at the ongoing disruptions of collation of elections results and violence in Lagos as reports from our men and women on the field indicate infliction of violence and assault on Labour Party Agents and Representatives, among who are renowned political economist and Covener of the Big Tent, Prof Pat Utomi at collation centres in Lagos with heavy sporadic shooting to prevent collation of results from the polling units, where the ruling APC lost the elections.”

The Labour Party has raised the alarm over its chieftain, Prof. Pat Utomi and other members and supporters of the party who are reportedly held hostage by thugs amid heavy shooting at collation centres in Lagos.

The Chairman, Contact and Mobilisation/Special Duties of Labour Party and Head of Grassroots Mobilisation of the Obi-Datti 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, Veteran Olawale Okunniyi, who raised the alarm said, “We also frown at the ongoing disruptions of collation of elections results and violence in Lagos as reports from our men and women on the field indicate infliction of violence and assault on Labour Party Agents and Representatives, among who are renowned political economist and Covener of the Big Tent, Prof Pat Utomi at collation centres in Lagos with heavy sporadic shooting to prevent collation of results from the polling units, where the ruling APC lost the elections.”

Okunniyi, who is also National Chief Mobiliser of the Labour Party and Obi-dient Movement under the umbrella of the Big Tent of the 3rd Force Movement of Nigeria, added, “We, therefore, call on Nigerian Security Forces to urgently move to neutralise this ongoing thuggery and violence in most parts of Lagos, including Eti Osa, Ejigbo, Ishaga and Oshodi areas, among others, where thugs are currently having a field day assaulting and holding electoral officials and Labour Party representatives hostage.”

He further alleged that an intelligence report revealed that some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are in connivance with political chieftains of the ruling parties to falsify elections results at the collation centres and that there are also strong plots to trade off the votes of the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi in some Southern states.
“INEC officials concerned in this conspiratorial falsification and merchandising are hereby warned to immediately desist from this fraudulent act in order not to incur the wrath of already frustrated masses of Nigeria.

“Finally, we wish to plead with INEC strongly to ensure that all results uploaded on their portal for collation tally with the results signed and handed over to the polling units Agents of political parties at the polling units in order to prevent the present machinations of some politicians to discredit and scuttle the 2023 elections,” Okunniyi added.