21st July, 2017
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Less than 24 hours to the Local Government election in Lagos, the the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC says the body is more than ever ready to conduct a free and fair poll.
This is coming as the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni warned trouble-makers and hooligans to stay away as the police would go after them, arrest and prosecute them.
At a joint news conference on Friday at LASIEC headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, Chairman, LASIEC, Justice Olatunde Phillips said sensitive and none sensitive materials had been deployed to all local governments and local council development areas in order to ensure smooth process.
She said the commission would provide a level playing ground for all political parties and their candidates as well as remain committed to its responsibilities of conducting free, fair and credible elections into the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas.
“Nobody, therefore, has any cause to entertain any fear or doubt on the neutrality of the Commission as an electoral umpire at the Local Government level of Lagos State. We are very much aware of our responsibilities as provided for in the relevant enabling laws.
“In demonstration of our commitment, the Commission has deployed non-sensitive materials to the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas of the State so that Electoral Officers have adequate time to distribute the materials to locations where they would be used for tomorrow’s elections.
“Deployment of sensitive materials to the various Local Government and Local Council Development Areas of the State has also commenced this morning and will be completed in due course. With the early deployment of the materials, I am confidant that the elections would be conducted without any hitch whatsoever.
“Accreditation and voting will take place simultaneously between 8.00 and 3.00pm on Saturday, 22nd July, 2017. The results of the chairmanship elections will be declared at the collation centre in each of the Local Governments or Local Council Development Areas while the results for councillorship elections will be declared at each of the Ward collation centres of the State,” she said.
Phillips said the only condition that might warrant the declaration of the results outside the collation centres was if it was discovered that the environment was not safe and conducive.
“It may also interest you that know that part of the innovations that have been introduced to enhance the electoral process and ensure effective monitoring and feedback mechanism is the introduction of the Elections Support Centre at the headquarters of the Commission. Through the facility, the Commission will be able to monitor whatever is going on in the field from the headquarters. This will enable the Commission to respond promptly to any development arising from the elections.
“The Commission has reinforced and intensified its publicity and enlightenment campaign efforts on the elections. We are doing this through a number of channels, including billboards, motorized campaigns, flyers, issuance of press releases, documentary, drama, sponsorship of documentary, drama, sponsorship of jingles in many media, Chairman’s appearance on some live programmes on radio and television, interviews and many more,” she added.
The LASIEC boss appealed to journalists to be objective in their reportage of event and avoid sensationalism in their reports.
Also speaking, Owoseni said the police were fully ready to secure lives and properties on Saturday during the poll.
He warned parents and wards against allowing their children to be used as thugs by politicians, vowing that the police would descend on them heavily and prosecute them.