The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has assured political parties of a fair and credible election process for the upcoming 12 July local government polls.
LASIEC’s chairperson, Bola Okikiola-Ighile, gave the commitment during a meeting with representatives of registered political parties on Tuesday. The commission had earlier announced that elections would hold in 20 local government areas (LGAs) and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs).
Okikiola-Ighile promised a level playing field for all parties and urged their cooperation to ensure a smooth exercise.
“None of us here is a card-carrying member of any political party. We are not your opponents—we are working to ensure a successful election,” she said. “We are prepared, we have sworn an oath, and we will uphold it.”
Political parties must collect nomination forms from LASIEC headquarters and pay administrative fees for processing candidates.
Female candidates will pay half the standard administrative fee.
The full election guidelines will be published on 17 April, while campaigns are permitted from 18 April to 9 July.
Parties must submit details of their agents between 23 and 28 June and provide verifiable secretariat addresses.
However, some party leaders expressed dissatisfaction with LASIEC’s handling of the process.
Temilola Akinade, chairperson of the Lagos Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), criticised LASIEC for releasing the election notice without prior consultation. She raised concerns about unresolved legal questions regarding the Supreme Court’s stance on LG autonomy and its implications for the 37 LCDAs.
Ayinde Olawale of the African Action Congress (AAC) stated that his party would not participate in any election recognising the LCDAs.
Dele Oladeji (Accord Party) urged LASIEC to involve political parties more in decision-making.
Other party representatives criticised the revised LASIEC law, which allows the commission to conduct elections in 57 LGAs/LCDAs, arguing that the law should be made more accessible to the public.
Okikiola-Ighile explained that the delay in meeting IPAC was due to the commission’s heavy workload. She clarified that the law only requires consultation with IPAC before releasing guidelines, which was the purpose of the meeting.
“We hold IPAC and political parties in high regard. This meeting was called to incorporate your input into the guidelines,” she said.
Representatives from major parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Social Democratic Party (SDP), attended the session.
The commission’s assurances come amid heightened scrutiny over the transparency and legality of the upcoming local government elections.
