By Peter Dansu As Lagos residents head to the polls today to elect new leaders across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council D...
By Peter Dansu
As Lagos residents head to the polls today to elect new leaders across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), tension is brewing following the refusal of 13 out of the 15 participating political parties to sign a peace accord ahead of the elections.
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), which has repeatedly assured the public of its readiness to conduct a free, fair and credible poll, had convened a peace meeting with all registered political parties on the ballot. But only the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Youth Party turned up and signed the accord.
This unexpected boycott has raised concerns about the unity and trust among stakeholders in the electoral process.
Why the Parties Refused
The political parties that stayed away from the peace pact cited unresolved grievances with LASIEC. Among their complaints were unmet demands to extend the candidate registration deadline and allegations that the commission failed to properly consult parties before releasing the election guidelines.
Labour Party Chairperson, Dayo Ekong, who spoke at the meeting, appealed for more flexibility from the commission. She said the internal crisis within her party affected their ability to meet the nomination deadline, and further accused unnamed individuals of vandalising LP campaign materials across parts of Lagos.
Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved parties, George Ashiru, Public Relations Officer of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), called on LASIEC to give them another opportunity to sign the peace accord—if the commission is willing to show some compromise.
LASIEC Reaffirms Readiness
Despite the disagreement, LASIEC says it's going ahead with the polls as scheduled. The Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (Rtd), said at a recent press briefing that all plans were in place to ensure a smooth, peaceful and credible exercise.
“This is to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to delivering free, fair, credible, inclusive and peaceful local government elections,” she said.
She explained that elections would take place in all 13,325 polling units across the state, with 57 chairmanship, 57 vice-chairmanship and 376 councillorship positions up for grabs. According to LASIEC’s records, Lagos has over 7 million registered voters, with more than 6.2 million PVCs already collected.
Voting is expected to commence by 8 a.m. and end by 3 p.m., although anyone on the queue by the cutoff time will still be allowed to vote.
Security Assurances
To reassure voters, LASIEC said security would be tight across the state. The Nigeria Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps will be the first responders, while joint military task force OP MESA will remain on standby.
Justice Okikiolu-Ighile appealed to all political parties and candidates to maintain peace and respect the rule of law, stating: “We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure a successful election devoid of violence, intimidation or harassment.”
Final Words
While LASIEC is pressing forward with confidence, the decision by 13 political parties—including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP)—to boycott the peace accord has cast a shadow over the process. Whether this affects voter turnout or the general atmosphere at polling units remains to be seen. But for now, Lagosians are set to determine who will lead their local councils for the next term.
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