Ruling party cites data analysis to debunk 2023 rigging claims
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has made a strong declaration that it will not allow opposition parties to manipulate or rig future elections in Nigeria.
Speaking on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the party rejected the long-standing narrative that the ruling party was exclusively responsible for irregularities during the 2023 general elections. The APC spokesperson in the state, Seye Oladejo, stated that the party is now more committed than ever to protecting the integrity of the electoral process as the nation prepares for upcoming polls.
The party’s stance is bolstered by a recent independent statistical analysis conducted as part of a Data Science master’s thesis at Pan-Atlantic University. According to Oladejo, the study analyzed results from over 123,000 polling units across the country and found that statistically significant anomalies were not limited to a single party. The analysis reportedly showed that some of the highest concentrations of suspicious results occurred in areas considered strongholds of the Labour Party, particularly in the South-East region of the country.
The APC noted that while Lagos State recorded an anomaly rate of 2.3 percent, other states showed much higher figures, including Anambra at 24.9 percent, Enugu at 16.7 percent, and Imo at 10.9 percent. The party highlighted that the report identified a disproportionate number of “perfect scores” in opposition strongholds—results that data scientists described as statistically suspicious. Oladejo argued that these findings undermine the claims that the federal government or the ruling party orchestrated a nationwide rigging operation in 2023.
APC challenges opposition narratives ahead of future elections
The Lagos APC stated that electoral malpractice in the last general election followed “opportunity rather than ideology,” suggesting that many parties complaining about rigging may have actually benefited from irregular practices themselves. The party warned against attempts by the opposition to manipulate public opinion through misinformation and false post-election narratives. By releasing these findings, the APC aims to set a new standard for evidence-based political discourse leading up to the 2027 general elections.
The ruling party acknowledged that while the 2023 election was not entirely fraudulent, it was also not completely free of irregularities. However, it maintained that malpractice has taken on more subtle forms that require greater scrutiny from all stakeholders. The Lagos APC emphasized that it would be vigilant in preventing the opposition from employing these subtle tactics in forthcoming polls, vowing to “protect the mandate of the people” at every polling unit in the state and beyond.
Furthermore, the party expressed its full support for ongoing electoral reforms. This includes the call for independent audits of election data, the mandatory real-time transmission of results, and improved technical capacity for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The APC also advocated for the prosecution of electoral offenders, regardless of their party affiliation, to serve as a deterrent to those who might consider subverting the will of the voters in the future.
Commitment to integrity and electoral transparency
As the political atmosphere in Nigeria begins to heat up for the next cycle of elections, the Lagos APC’s latest statement is seen as a pre-emptive strike against opposition strategies. The party remains adamant that it will remain at the forefront of the fight for a transparent and credible electoral system. Seye Oladejo reiterated that the party’s primary goal is to ensure that every vote counts and that the final results accurately reflect the choices made by the Nigerian electorate.
The ruling party’s spokesperson concluded by calling on the opposition to focus on constructive engagement rather than relying on what he called “prophecies of doom” and unverified claims of rigging. He stated that the APC is ready to compete on the basis of its performance and service delivery to the people of Lagos and the nation at large. This latest development signals a significant shift in how the ruling party intends to handle election-related controversies in the coming years.
The Lagos APC’s reliance on academic data science to defend its electoral record marks a sophisticated turn in Nigerian political communication. By using “hard data” to challenge the “rigging narrative,” the party is attempting to shift the burden of proof onto its critics. As the debate over the 2023 results continues, this data-driven approach is likely to become a central feature of the political battles leading toward 2027.
