Lawmakers plan LG electoral reforms

The Lagos State House of Assembly convened a public hearing on Monday to discuss a bill aimed at further amending the Lagos State Electoral Commission Law.

The event, held at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium in Alausa, Ikeja, focused on enhancing the electoral process at the local government level in preparation for the upcoming local government elections.

While speaking, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Lasbat, stated that the bill sought to elevate the state’s electoral standards to match global best practices.

He hinted at the potential adoption of technology during the elections.

“It further fine-tunes how elections should be conducted and administered with modern best practices. It gives the people absolute control in choosing their desired leaders without any form of malpractice or interference by external powers.

“Today, we are taking steps to eliminate major obstacles in the electoral process. We are striving to create a system that caters to the institution, the state, and the people. With these new amendments, the voices and votes of the people will be heard, supported by the use of modern technology.

“If we, as a people, truly intend to rid our state of electoral malpractices, we must, as a duty to ourselves and future generations, encourage innovative amendments like this bill. This will further ease the job of electoral administrators, voters, and the judiciary,” Obasa said.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions, and the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, Ajomale O.O., emphasised the importance of the proposed amendments.

“This further amendment has become very imperative to address some lacunae in the existing law. As you may be aware, the current administrations at the local government areas in the state will terminate in a few months, and the need to prepare for credible and hitch-free elections cannot be overemphasised.

“Among other provisions, the amendments seek to provide solutions to scenarios such as the demise of elected officials—from the chairman to the councillors—before they are sworn in. It also includes provisions for the participation of physically challenged members of the community in the electoral processes at the local government level and guarantees the neutrality of electoral officials, including ad hoc staff, to prevent malpractices and rigging,” he said.

The amendment, according to the chairman, also proposes sanctions for those who violate electoral laws and mandates the timely release of funds to ensure proper preparation for the elections. It further stipulates that candidates wishing to withdraw from an election must submit a written request to the commission through their sponsoring political party no later than 90 days before the election.

“The amendments will strengthen the operations of LASIEC to conduct free, fair, and credible elections at the local government level,” Ajomale added.