Ogun, Lagos councils polls: Electorate choose new LGAs chairmen, as confusion trails PDP’s participation

Electorate in Lagos and Ogun states are set to elect local government and councils’ chairmen, Saturday, July 24 as the various states Independent Electoral Commission have already commenced balloting in the poll which was last conducted in 2017.

However, while for Lagos it appears to be a good start for the election umpire in the state, the situation  in Ogun differs as the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is embroiled in an internal crisis which has left some aspirants on its platform unsure as whether to participate or not in the exercise.

Both Ogun and Lagos state are controlled by the All Progressives Congress (APC), and look set to be retained by the party. This is also as both states, which also share land boundaries, have announced restrictions on movement of persons and vehicular traffic for the duration of the political exercise.

For Lagos, the state Independent National Electoral Commission (LASIEC) had earlier announced that 15 political parties would participate in the election which will hold in all the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, as well as its 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) .

The parties include; the ruling APC, PDP, Accord, Action Alliance (AA), Action Democratic Party ADP), African Action Congress (AAC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Because Of Our Tomorrow (BOOT).

Other parties include; Labour, National Rescue Movement, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Social Democratic Party, and Young Progressives Party.

During the last council poll in Lagos, APC swept the entire 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas in the state in the election, a result which might repeat itself barring any shock from the PDP candidates.

In Lagos also, the state electoral commission (LASIEC) had disclosed of plans to transmit the results of the July 24 local government election polls in the state electronically.

LASIEC, Friday, through its Chairman, Mrs Ayotunde Philips, during a press conference ahead of the local government elections assured that the commission has a ‘robust and user- friendly’ website that might be used to upload election results.

The chairman said although they are experiencing some technical challenges with the website as of Friday afternoon, she is hopeful it will be resolved and will be used in transmitting election results.

“As to uploading of results, we are going to upload it to a cloud as the same thing as INEC does.

“Our website should really reflect the result. We are having a bit of problem now with uploading but hopefully, it is going to be reflecting on our website,” Philips said.

Many Nigerians and civil society organisations have called for the inclusion of electronic transmission of election result to enhance transparency and trust in the electoral process.

Although electronic transmission of election results is yet to be approved by the National Assembly, provisions are in place to include it in the Electoral Amendment Bill.

The LASIEC boss also added that the commission has carried out sensitisation of Lagosians to curb voter apathy in the July 24 election.

“Citizens need to be encouraged, informed, and provided with basic information about participating in elections so as to freely express their political choices through an electoral process that is why the commission has partnered with some of the news platforms in the State on voters education and sensitisation.

“In order to build a collaborative effort in stemming the tide of voter apathy, the Commission recently embarked on stakeholders sensitisation programmes in a programme themed: ‘Taking Ownership of the Five divisions of the State with the Electoral Process- Citizen Participation’,” Mrs Philips said.

She added that a notice of elections and elections guidelines have been circulated weeks before the election.

Speaking on the discrepancy between the number of local government areas constitutionally recognised in Lagos and the additional LCDA created by the states, the electoral chairman said this will not affect the Saturday election.

Mrs Philips said LASEIC has collaborated with INEC to ensure that all the 57 LCDAs are covered during the election.

“As to the use of card readers in this election, it is going to be used in the 57 local governments. INEC has configured the card readers for each of these local governments.

“The voters know where to go and vote. Updating of the voters’ register has not been implemented yet as the commission is still relying on the 2019 lists,” she said.

She urged Lagosians to be law-abiding and comply with COVID-19 protocols during and after the election.

For Ogun, however, while its State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) appears to have its house in order, as well as the ruling APC, the opposition PDP is still undecided over the poll as factions within the party appear to be bent on scuttling its chances at unsettling the majority hold of the former in power.

Earlier, Thursday, following the ruling of a High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, which dismissed a case filed by Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele and Anor over a candidates’ list submitted by another faction of the PDP.

The suit numbered No M/55/2021, sought an order of the court to compel the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) to accept the nomination list of a faction of the PDP said to be loyal to Hon. Ladi Adebutu, ahead of the forthcoming LG polls in the state.

The Court, presided over by Hon. Justice Gboyega Ogunfowora, agreed with Mr. Wale Abeeb Ajayi, who appeared for the Respondent in the case that the consent judgment of the Federal High Court upon which the Applicants based their case, was entered long after the Respondent (OGSIEC) had screened and cleared the candidates of all political parties including PDP.

The judge ruled that the court cannot compel the respondent to accept the list at the stage when it had concluded all actions preparatory to the LG elections.

The Court refused the argument of Chief Chris Uche SAN, who argued the matter for the Applicant and dismissed the Applicant’s application for an Order of Mandamus.

Following that ruling, Sikirulai Ogundele, who is also the factional PDP chairman in the state, said to be loyal to Ladi Adebutu, issued a statement, Thursday, declaring that the party has now withdrawn from the local government council elections scheduled to hold on Saturday.

However, that call was voided, Friday, another factional Chairman, Leke Shittu, stated that the party is set to participate in Saturday’s local government elections.

Shittu in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists said the clarification became imperative due to the confusion generated by the statement credited to Ogundele saying that the PDP had pulled out of elections.

“This is to inform the general public and good people of Ogun State that the party has and will never pull out of tomorrow’s local government elections. We have done all that we are supposed to do under the law and we will surely participate in tomorrow’s local government elections.

“We hereby use this medium to urge the good people of Ogun State to disregard the statement credited to one Hon Sikirulai Ogundele who is not in any capacity capable to speak on behalf of our great party, PDP.

“It’s all gimmicks to create confusion where there is none but as the authentic leadership of Ogun PDP, the opposition party is participating in tomorrow’s local government elections”.

Shittu has however urged the the residents of the state to disregard the statement credited to Ogundele saying, “as the authentic leadership of PDP in Ogun State, we are going ahead with the local government elections as scheduled for tomorrow, July 24”.