Opposition parties in Lagos State have voiced their dissatisfaction over delays in preparations for the local government elections. The Lagos State United Opposition Political Parties (LASTOP), representing a coalition of political groups, accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led state government of intentionally stalling the polls.
At a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, Sola Olomola, a former governorship candidate of the Action Alliance Party and spokesperson for LASTOP, raised concerns about the delay. He highlighted the expiration of the current local government officials’ tenure in four months, with no visible signs of preparations for elections into the state’s 20 local government areas (LGAs) and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs).
The opposition coalition attributed the holdup to the Lagos State House of Assembly’s failure to screen nominees for the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC). These nominees have been awaiting screening for over eight months under the leadership of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
Olomola alleged that the delay raises suspicions of an orchestrated plan to postpone the polls and warned against any attempt to undermine the LCDAs by restricting elections to the LGAs alone. “Section 5 of the LASIEC law clearly mandates elections for all LGAs and LCDAs, not just the LGAs. Any move to short-change the LCDAs will be strongly resisted,” he said.
The coalition also accused the APC of plotting to either unlawfully extend the tenure of current council executives or install handpicked loyalists to fill the positions. Such actions, Olomola argued, would erode democratic principles at the grassroots level.
LASTOP appealed to the judiciary to expedite the resolution of all litigations related to the screening and inauguration of LASIEC nominees to ensure timely elections in all LGAs and LCDAs. They also called for the resignation of Obasa if he continues to delay the screening process.
LASTOP also threatened to mobilise members and voters to occupy the state House of Assembly if necessary until the screening of LASIEC nominees is completed.
LASTOP reiterated their commitment to challenge the APC in the upcoming elections and called for a united effort to remove the current government from power in Lagos State.
The press conference was attended by various opposition party representatives, including those from Labour Party, NNPP, ZLP, and Allied Peoples Movement.
