The Lagos State House of Assembly has issued a summons to the Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, and Commissioners of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, demanding they appear before the House to provide detailed explanations regarding their plans and preparations for the upcoming local government elections scheduled for July.
During a plenary session on Thursday, concerns were raised by lawmakers regarding the perceived rushed nature of LASIEC’s processes and the inadequacy of the released electoral guidelines.
Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Petitions, Human Rights and LASIEC, Oladipo Ajomale, voiced strong reservations, stating, LASIEC is just rushing the process.
“The guidelines released are not comprehensive enough to address the concerns of the people regarding the election,” he said.
He emphasized that numerous unanswered questions from the public necessitated the commission’s appearance.
“The Nigerian constitution grants us the authority to summon LASIEC to clarify issues concerning the upcoming elections. We are unaware of the electoral method they intend to employ, whether it’s BVAS or the old methods,” he said.
He also raised concerns about the hiring of ad-hoc staff and the utilization of allocated funds.
Member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Alimosho Constituency 02, Kehinde Joseph echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of accountability and transparency, “They must come and explain how they spent taxpayers’ money.”
Member, representing Badagry Constituency 1, Solomon Bonu, while acknowledging the opposition party’s complaints, pointed out the lack of adequate voter education.
The lawmaker representing Oshodi-Isolo 1, Stephen Ogundipe, further supported the summons, citing LASIEC’s failure to adhere to the House’s directives and their lack of communication regarding security measures for the election.
“We have told them how to go about the process, but they did not follow it or come back to the house. On security during the election process, what steps have they taken?” he questioned.
Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, solidified the Assembly’s stance, insisting that LASIEC must provide a comprehensive briefing on their preparations.
“LASIEC must come to tell the house about their preparation,” he stated.
He directed the Clerk of the House to summon the LASIEC Chairman and Commissioners to appear before the Assembly to clarify their plans and preparations for the upcoming elections.