Labour Party candidate for Surulere 1 Constituency, Olumide Oworu, has called out the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to include his name on the ballot papers in the March 18 elections.

He made this known in a statement released via his Instagram page on Tuesday.

Oworu, who lost the election to his colleague and All Progressives Congress candidate, Desmond Elliot assured voters that his campaign was not motivated by clout but by a genuine desire for change.

The statement partly read, “I would like to express my deep appreciation for your unwavering support and dedication throughout our campaign. We went through a lot as a collective during this journey, and I want to assure you that our fight for a better Surulere continues.

“While it is obvious that the ruling party engaged in thuggery and electoral malpractice, we must not lose sight of the fact that we stood for what was right and.. just. It is deeply concerning that such tactics are still being used in our democracy, and we must continue to fight for a system where every vote counts and the will of the people is respected. That we refused to compromise our principles and values, even in the face of adversity."

Desmond Elliot of the APC, Surulere Constituency was declared the winner of the state Assembly election.

Elliott polled 17,837 votes to defeat his closest rival, Adebayo Bode of the Labour Party, LP, who had 7,822 votes.

Also, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Thompson Sulaimon Abolaji, polled 1,045 votes.

The result was announced by the INEC Returning Officer, Dr. O. J. Fenuga.

Read the full statement below: