29th September, 2010
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has challenged any political party that is not satisfied with the decision of the commission to create additional wards and polling units in the state to go to court.
Chairman of the commission, Justice Afolabi Abdul-Fatai Adeyinka (rtd), gave the challenge while reacting to last Friday’s statement from the leadership of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, that the commission lacks the power to create wards and polling units, insisted that LASIEC has the constitutional powers to do so.
The PDP, at a media briefing last Friday, criticised the decision by LASIEC to embark on delineation of wards and creation of additional wards in Lagos State, saying it is illegal.
The party insisted that LASIEC lacks the constitutional powers to do so and threatened to drag the commission to court if it refuses to halt the exercise.
But the LASIEC boss, at a stakeholders’ forum at Somolu Local Government Area of the state on Monday, maintained that Section 3 of Local Government Administration Law 1999 empowers the commission to embark on the exercise.
“We have the power to delineate wards and create additional polling units. Section 3 of Local Government Administration Law 1999 gives us the power to delineate wards and create polling units,†he stated, adding that those who are threatening to go to court over the issue have the legal right to do so.
According to him, the purpose of the exercise is to address the request from various communities in Lagos State for delineation of wards and creation of additional polling units.
“New communities spring up in Lagos State as a result of rapid urbanisation have been denied effective and adequate representation. The locations of some wards are not contiguous, it therefore follows that new wards may be created out of the existing LGA/LCDAs while some councils may need more polling units,†he said.
The Chairman of Bariga Local Council Development Area, Akeem Sulaimon, who witnessed the event, said the request for additional wards and polling units in his council is justified with facts.
According to him, creating more polling units and delineation of wards would solve the problem of voters walking long distances before they could cast their votes.
He disclosed that the council already has eight wards and is demanding for additional six as well as 81 additional polling units to make the number of polling units in the area 428.
The host council chairman, Gbolahan Bagostowe, expressed happiness over the conduct of the exercise, adding that the presence of all major stakeholders at the occasion indicated that the people of the area were pursuing a just cause.