By ADEYEMI ADELEYE

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has assured political parties that it will ensure credible conduct of the July 12 Local Government election.

The commission’s Chairman, Retired Justice Mobolanle Okikiola-Ighile, gave the assurance during a meeting with representatives of registered political parties in Lagos on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that LASIEC had on Friday announced July 12 as the date of the election in 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs)

Okikiola-Ighile also pledged a level-playing field for each of the political parties before and during the election .

The LASIEC boss sought political parties’ support for successful conduct.

“We are not for any political party, we are LASIEC. We are here to conduct a free, fair, inclusive and credible election.

“Nobody among us is a card- carrying member of any political party. Let us be nice to ourselves. We are not your opponent, we are working for the betterment of this election.

“We are prepared, we are working, we have sworn an oath and we are going to stick to the oath,” Okikiola-Ighile said.

The LASIEC boss, while speaking on the election guidelines, encouraged political parties and aspirants to strictly follow the electoral timetable and the guidelines.

According to her, political parties must visit the LASIEC headquarters to obtain nomination forms for their candidates.

She said that administrative fees would be paid by political parties for processing the nomination of their respective candidates.

Okikiola-Ighile, however, stated that female candidates were to pay half of the administrative fees.

She said the details of the revenue code and agency code for the payment would be stated in the guidelines.

According to her, verification of candidates’ documents shall take place at the commission’s headquarters.

“At the end of the verification exercise, list of validated candidates will be displayed on the notice board in the commission’s headquarters,” Okikiola-Ighile said.

She said that the election guidelines would be published on April 17 while campaigns and rallies would start on April 18 and end on July 9.

Okikiola-Ighile said: “Rules guiding electioneering campaign will be detailed in the election guidelines.

“Political parties are to submit details of their party agents between June 23 and June 28. The political parties are to give verifiable party secretariat address to the commission.”

Meanwhile, Mrs Temilola Akinade, the Chairperson of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lagos State, has expressed displeasure over what she called neglect of the council by the new LASIEC board.

Akinade said that the commission erred in the way it released the election notice without the contributions of IPAC and other critical stakeholders

According to her, important issues remain unresolved as regards the appropriate interpretation of the Supreme Court’s pronouncements on LG autonomy and how that will impact the 37 LCDAs established by the state government.

Speaking, Mr Ayinde Olawale of the African Action Congress (AAC) said that the party would not participate in any local government election recognising the 37 LCDAs in the state.

Mr Dele Oladeji, the State Chairman Accord Party, urged the new board to always carry political parties along in the process, asking the commission to make the electoral law and rules public to ensure transparent and credible poll.

Other party leaders took turns to express displeasure over the revised LASIEC law empowering the agency to conduct executive elections into 57 LGs/LCDAs, without the knowledge of stakeholders.

They said many political parties were yet to have access to the new law, stating that such critical legislation should be in the public domain.

Responding, the LASIEC boss said was unable to meet IPAC earlier owing to huge work load and the need to put things right.

She explained that the law requires the commission to meet with IPAC only before release of guidelines.

“The commission regard and respect IPAC and political parties a lot. The issue of guidelines is why we called for this critical stakeholders meeting to have your inputs,” she said.

Representatives of All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord, Youth Party (YP) and Action Democratic Party (ADP) attended the meeting.

Representatives of the All Peoples Party (APP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) were also present. (NAN)