Residents of Lagos State will head to the polls today to elect their preferred candidates across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas, in line with guidelines set by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).
Despite assurances of a credible election, LASIEC has come under scrutiny from several opposition parties, sparking doubts over the transparency of the process. Nevertheless, many Lagosians remain hopeful that the elections will be conducted in a peaceful and fair manner.
In a surprising development, 13 out of the 15 political parties listed to participate in the elections refused to sign a Peace Accord, a pact designed to ensure a violence-free electoral process. Their decision stems from grievances regarding how the electoral process has been handled so far.
Chronicles Reporter gathered on Friday that with less than a day to the local government polls scheduled for July 12, LASIEC was accused of deliberately sidelining opposition parties. Reports claim that polling unit agent tags were denied to these parties, while candidates from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were allegedly granted early access.
The African Action Congress (AAC), in a statement sent to Chronicles Reporter on Friday, criticized LASIEC for what it described as deliberate acts of sabotage. The party alleged that the commission’s actions were meant to frustrate opposition candidates and tilt the outcome in favour of the APC.
However, LASIEC has maintained its stance, insisting that it is fully committed to delivering a free and fair election. The commission’s chairperson, retired Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, recently reaffirmed during a press briefing that adequate preparations had been made to ensure a transparent process.
According to her, elections will hold for 57 chairmanship positions, 57 vice chairmanship positions, and 376 councillorship seats. Voting is scheduled to take place across the 13,325 polling units scattered throughout the state.
The total number of registered voters is 7,060,195. Of that number, 6,214,970 voters have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), while 845,225 PVCs remain unclaimed.
She also confirmed that out of the 19 registered political parties in the state, only 15 will be contesting in the elections. Voting is expected to commence at 8 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Voters already on the queue by 3 p.m. will still be allowed to cast their ballots.
Despite these assurances, dissatisfaction lingers among the majority of the political parties. Thirteen of them have withheld their signatures from the peace accord, with only the APC and Youth Party endorsing it.
The aggrieved parties have voiced frustration over LASIEC’s handling of critical aspects of the process. One major concern was the commission’s refusal to extend the deadline for submitting candidate nominations.
Another sore point was LASIEC’s decision to release election guidelines without prior consultation with all participating parties, leaving many scrambling to meet tight deadlines.
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