Why LASIEC cannot conduct elections into 37 LCDAs – Ayodele Adio 

By KEMI KASUMU

I say this because, if indeed those 37 LCDAs are recognized by law, Honorable Jimi Benson, and Honorable Faleke who represent Ikeja constituency will not be sponsoring an amendment in the National Assembly to recognize the 37 LCDAs as legitimate local government in Lagos.

As it is becoming clearer that the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) will, no doubt, will conduct elections into the unconstitutional 37 LCDAs in addition to the 20 constitutionally recognized Local Government Areas during the forthcoming July 2025 council elections in the state, more voices of reason have been directed to the state electoral umpire not to be the same creature of the law that will be the agent of ruling political class to commit infractions of the law.

Mainly among these voices is that of Youth Party (YP) Chairmanship Candidate for Eti-Osa Local Government in the state, Mr. Ayodele Adio, who expressed concerns about the alleged decision of LASIEC to conduct elections into those unconstitutional councils..

Appearing on News Central Television, recently, Mr. Adio noted from the preamble of the anchor and wondered that the media were helping push the narratives, despite clear evidence of illegality of the 37 LCDAs necessitating the efforts by some stakeholders in the state’s ruling APC to get their approval through a National Assembly constitutional amendment yet to be achieved.

According to Adio, “In your introduction, you made mention about the fact that elections were going to hold in 20 local governments and 37 LCDAs. That was a combustible issue in the debate we had in the public hearing because, just like the Youth Party did and in the presentation I made on that day, several other lawyers and several other political parties had made the clear argument that it was illegal to contest elections in 37 LCDAs that are not recognized by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Unfortunately, we seem to have carried on business as usual. The media seem to have propagated the narrative that elections are going to hold in the 37 LCDAs, when is a clear illegality, and I say this because, if indeed those 37 LCDAs are recognized by law, Honorable Jimi Benson, and Honorable Faleke who represent Ikeja constituency will not be sponsoring an amendment in the National Assembly to recognize the 37 LCDAs as legitimate local government in Lagos.

“Because they also recognized that those LCDAs are not recognized by law and hence the reasons for sponsoring that bill in the National Assembly, so that Constitution can be amended to recognize those 37 LCDAs and until that amendment is made, it is illegal, it is unconstitutional to conduct or elect members into those LCDAs that are complete strangers to the law.

“Mind you, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the one that created those LCDAs. He was so passionate about them that he fought for them up unto the Supreme Court. He’s been president for two years now. His administration only sends money to the 20 Local Governments recognized in Lagos.

“As passionate as he is about the 37 LCDAs, none of them got a dime from Abuja. So, why are we perpetuating this gross and brazen illegality to conduct elections into offices that are not recognized by the law. How is it going to be funded?” he queried.