Lagos poll : Real reason we fielded candidates only in 20 LGs – ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has clarified why it is contesting only in the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos State in the ongoing council elections.

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) is overseeing elections across 20 LGAs and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state.

Out of the 18 registered political parties in Nigeria, 15 are participating in the election. Documents from LASIEC indicate that only 15 of the 19 political parties that initially showed interest eventually submitted lists of candidates.

Lagos State ADC Chairman, Mr. George Ashiru, attributed the party’s decision to a 2024 Supreme Court judgment, which he said reinforced the constitutional autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments, including the 20 in Lagos.

“In line with the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy, we chose to focus our campaigns and field candidates only in the 20 constitutionally recognised local government areas,” Ashiru said.

He emphasized the party’s adherence to constitutional guidelines and its dedication to lawful political engagement.

“In the beginning, we were against participation but our members and aspirants insisted on participating, especially those who felt that have strength in some areas.

“The party chose to abide by the constitution and focus our participation on the recognised councils,” he said.

Ashiru also appealed to the electoral commission to ensure fairness and transparency during the polls.
“At the end of this election, people will rate the commission because, ideally, parties win in their areas of strength,” he added.

Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) remains the most widely represented party, with candidates running in all 57 councils and 376 wards.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is fielding candidates in 45 councils and 259 wards. The Labour Party has 22 chairmanship and 130 councillorship hopefuls, while the Zenith Labour Party is represented by six chairmanship and 21 councillorship candidates.

Other participating parties listed by LASIEC include Accord, African Action Alliance, Allied People’s Movement, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Social Democratic Party, National Rescue Movement, Young Progressives Party, Youth Party, Action Peoples Party, and the ADC.