…target commission’s neutrality, credible election
The Lagos State House of Assembly has made moves to further ensure the conduct of credible election in the state.
Speaking on Monday during a public hearing organized by the Lagos Assembly on a Bill to amend the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) law, the Chief Host and Speaker of the state Assembly Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa reiterates the importance of standard conformity as it applies to global best practices.
According to Obasa who was represented at the gathering by the Deputy Speaker Hon. Mojisola Meranda the amendment was necessitated by the quest of the House to cater for contemporary needs and to ensure a state free of electoral malpractices.
“Since the turn of this current democratic dispensation, Lagos State being the cradle of the progressives assumed the calling of showcasing the beauty of democracy at its finest, by not just ensuring that our people enjoy good governance but also the satisfaction that the good governance is public oriented, and people led.
“As we are very proud of the numbers of innovative laws being enacted in this State for the benefits of our people, we should be boastful that the laws are not just people-driven but actually the laws are being made by the people through contributions in this customary but pivotal public hearings as being hosted by this House on every single Bill we consider.”
Meranda stated that the amendments under consideration is a Bill that seeks to uplift the State to the comity of nations of near perfect electoral practices.
The Deputy Speaker said that it further fine-tunes how elections should be conducted and administered with modern best practices.
“It gives the people absolute control of choosing their desired leaders without any form of malpractice or control by the powers that be.
“Today we are making steps to reduce major clogs in the wheel of electioneering. We are in the quest to create a system that caters for the institution, the State and the people.
“With these new amendments the voice and votes of the people will be heard with the use of modern technology.
“If we as a people truly intend to rid our State of electoral malpractices, we must as a duty to ourselves and the generation unborn encourage innovative amendments like this bill.
“This will further ease the job of electoral administrators, voters and the judiciary.
“One of the many highlights of the bill for me is the creation of the new section 19 that mandates the staff to the commission to swear to an oath of allegiance and neutrality indicating that they would not accept any form of gratification or bribe.
“It also made emphasis on the issues of candidates to duly notify the commission in case of withdrawals from an election, death of a newly elected chairman and many more,” she said.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions, and LASIEC, Hon. Ladi Ajomale in his welcome address at the public hearing stressed that the proposed amendment to the law is to ensure; the neutrality of the officials of the commission, ease of accessing funds and giving enough time for the completion of the electoral process, in its bid to prevent malpractices and rigging during the elections.
Hon. Ajomale harped on the importance of the amendment, citing gaps in the existing electoral law.
“The current local government administrations in the State will conclude their tenure in a few months, and it is crucial that we make necessary adjustments to ensure credible and seamless elections,” he stated.
“The proposed amendment also introduces penalties for electoral law violators and mandates the timely release of funds to LASIEC to ensure adequate preparation for the elections.
“Additionally, it outlines a procedure for the withdrawal of candidates, requiring formal written notice to LASIEC through the sponsoring political party no later than 90 days before the election.
“This amendment will strengthen LASIEC’s operations, enabling it to conduct free, fair, and credible local government elections,” Ajomale added.
Another significant provision of the amendment is the inclusion of people with disabilities in the electoral process, furthering the State’s commitment to inclusivity in governance.
The bill is set to undergo further deliberations as the Assembly aims to enact it ahead of the local government polls.
Earlier in her welcome address, Hon. Mojisola Meranda, who represented the Speaker, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa, said that
A stakeholder at the event, Comrade Debo Adeniran, Chairman of the Committee For The Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), urged the Assembly to ensure that LASIEC is free from the control of the state government.
Adeniran suggested that some members of the participating political parties in the state should be appointed into the Commission as well as members of profession bodies.
Also speaking, Mrs. Christiana Njoku from the Centre for Citizens With Disability, urged the Assembly to ensure proper inclusion of people with disability.
