The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has warned that any confirmed case of electoral malpractice during Saturday’s Local Government Elections could lead to a by-election in the affected area.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, LASIEC Chairman, Retired Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, cautioned political parties to advise their supporters to shun violence and disruptive conduct during the polls.
Justice Okikiolu-Ighile announced that card readers would be deployed to verify voters and curb multiple voting across the 57 Local Government and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs). In cases where the machines fail, manual accreditation will be adopted.
She added that over 13,000 polling units have already received non-sensitive materials, while sensitive materials would be distributed early on Saturday morning to ensure voting begins at 8:00am and ends at 3:00pm
On security, she confirmed that four police officers would be stationed at each polling unit to maintain order, with additional support from other security agencies.
The results of councillorship elections will be announced at ward collation centres, while chairmanship results will be declared at local government collation centres.
LASIEC also revealed that 15 political parties will participate in the election, with over six million voters expected to exercise their franchise.
Justice Okikiolu-Ighile confirmed that the validated list of candidates for chairmanship and councillorship positions had been released and posted at the LASIEC headquarters in Yaba.
She explained that delays in publication were due to late submission of required documents by some candidates. The mandatory documents included:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Birth Certificate
- Party Membership Card
- Permanent Voter Card (PVC)
- Voter cards of at least 10 sponsors for councillorship aspirants and 20 for chairmanship aspirants
- Academic Certificates
- Personal Data Form signed by a Commissioner of Oaths or Notary Public
With preparations now complete, LASIEC affirmed its readiness to conduct transparent and credible elections across Lagos State’s LGAs and LCDAs.
In a related development, the Lagos State Police Command, through its spokesperson SP Benjamin Hundeyin, announced the strategic deployment of officers to ensure a peaceful and orderly election.
He reassured the public of the Command’s commitment to maintaining law and order throughout the electoral process.
Reporting by Abiola Peters