Ambode Not Committed To Fair Council Polls - Lagos PDP

The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has berated the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, for what it describes as the apparent indisposition of the governor to allow fair council polls in the state. According to the PDP, this assertion is sequel to the recent dissolution of the council's Executive Secretaries and the appointment of Sole Administrators who are to continue to occupy the councils in proxy for the APC for another period not less than three months instead of allowing the LASIEC to announce date for immediate council polls.

In a press release by the Lagos PDP Publicity Secretary, Taofik Gani, he said that the PDP holds that the Governor and the APC are jittery and unpopular going into grass roots elections in the state, 'thus the dishonourable decisions to control the councils by executive secretaries and sole Administrators, nomenclature which are alien and offensive to the provisions of our Constitution which under section 7 guarantees only democratically elected local government council administrations.

"We are not convinced that the imminent council polls in lagos state would be free, fair, credible considering governor Ambode's control and manipulation of the processes expected to lead to the imminent elections. We reiterate imminent because Lagos cannot be another Osun state where there has been no council polls. Ambode is obviously jittery of any grass roots elections and now adopting various excuses to delay democracy at that level. Lagosians are presently patient, but we can tell you that very soon the governor will be compelled to speedily allow council polls in the state.

“The APC in Lagos state cannot demand for the council polls at this time because the party is not fashionable to the people at the grass roots. They rather support illegal composition of the council's by APC appointed executive secretaries or sole Administrators.

These newly appointed sole Administrators are all active card carrying members of APC and have the singular assignment of deploying the council funds and logistics to support all APC candidates in their areas of control. This is unfortunate and big threat to our Democracy. Indeed Nigerians should watch out for the APC in the 2019 general elections. Using this Lagos observation, we are not sure of free, fair, credible 2019 general elections.