Lagos: With a few days to the Lagos Local Government Elections, opposition party candidates are still undergoing statutory screening by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that under the Electoral Guidelines for the July 12 elections, candidate validation was to be completed by June 30.
However, a NAN correspondent observed on Wednesday that PDP, Zenith Labour Party, Young Progressives Party, and other candidates were still undergoing screening two days after the deadline.
Seven days before the end of the campaigns, many opposition candidates besieged the LASIEC headquarters to validate their nominations amid delays.
Some opposition leaders alleged that LASIEC was colluding with the ruling APC to disenfranchise their candidates through administrative bottlenecks.
At the LASIEC headquarters, Chief Sunday Olaifa, PDP Deputy Chairman (Lagos West), expressed concern that only opposition candidates faced screening delays.
Olaifa said the process appeared to be designed to frustrate opposition parties and distract them from their campaign efforts.
“I’m alarmed by the prolonged documentation process. Many candidates are still outside LASIEC’s gate, struggling to get through the screening process.
“The verification process is highly questionable. I’ve not seen any APC candidates facing the same difficulty,” Olaifa said.
He said opposition candidates should be on the campaign trail, not struggling to validate their nominations days before the election.
He urged LASIEC to ensure a level playing field for all political parties throughout the entire election process.
Also speaking, Alh. Isiaka Shodiya, the PDP Chairman in Alimosho LGA, stated that LASIEC’s requirements were unprecedented and unfair.
Shodiya noted that asking candidates to present primary school certificates contradicts the Election Guidelines, which require a minimum of SSCE.
“How do you expect someone who finished primary school 40 years ago to produce that certificate?” he asked.
He argued that LASIEC’s duty is to midwife elections, not disqualify properly nominated candidates.
Shodiya insisted that only a court of law has the power to disqualify candidates, not LASIEC.
He said delays were wasting valuable campaign time, preventing candidates from engaging voters and sharing their manifestos.
Mr Adebayo Alade, the PDP Chairmanship Candidate for Kosofe, stated that he had spent several days at LASIEC without being screened.
“I’ve been here since Friday. I also came on Monday and today. I’ve waited five hours without any progress,” Alade said.
Prince Edide Yonwuren, ZLP Deputy State Chairman, described the screening process as overly complicated for opposition candidates.
Mr Honfovn Denagan, ZLP Chairmanship Candidate for Badagry, urged LASIEC to remove barriers preventing timely screening.
Samad Okufuwa, Lagos Publicity Secretary of the YPP, said the process should be more seamless and less stressful.
In response, LASIEC Chairman Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (rtd) stated that screening began on June 26, as outlined in the timetable issued on April 12.
She said the process involved validating candidates’ credentials under the Lagos State Independent Electoral Law, 2008 (as amended).
She noted that some candidates failed to submit all required documents and were advised to use the open window on July 2 and 3.
“Some returned on June 30 and caused a disruption by forming large, noisy crowds during the ongoing exercise,” she said.
She said this led to the temporary suspension and postponement of the screening for other parties to July 1.
LASIEC, she said, remains committed to a free, transparent, and credible election on July 12. Additionally, LASIEC guidelines indicate that campaigns commenced on April 18 and will conclude on July 9.