•’hold us accountable if elected as your representatives’
A human rights organization, Human Rights Advancement Development and Advocacy Centre (HURIDAC) on Wednesday in Lagos held a Town Hall meeting for House of Assembly candidates across five(5) local government council areas of the state, with the candidates assuring the electorate to make transparency and accountability as their watchword in their anti- corruption plans if elected.
Candidates, who attended the Town Hall meeting from three major political parties, namely the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), include Hon. Femi Saheed, the incumbent lawmaker representing Kosofe Constituency II on APC platform, Hon. Owoaje Babasola aspiring under the PDP banner for Kosofe Constituency 1, Hon. Kafilat Olapeju Fasasi, LP candidate, contesting for Kosofe Constituency I, Hon. Hassan Fatai Olaniyi aspiring for Mushin Constituency I under PDP platform, among others.
Others at the parley include candidates contesting for the House of Assembly seats for Alimosho Çonstituency I and II, Ajeromi Ifelodun Constituency I and II, Kosofe Constituency I and II, Mushin Constituency I and II and Ikorodu Constituency I and II, community stakeholders, constituents from the constituencies, civil society organizations and the media.
The Town Hall meeting was designed to interfaced the candidates with stakeholders and their constituencies on their anti- corruption plans if they eventually get elected into the Lagos State house of assembly in the March 11th 2023 General Elections.
At the end of the programme, the candidates promised to abide by their anti- corruption plans with which they should be held to account if eventually elected by the electorate.
They all promised to make public the financial status of their constituency as representatives of the people if elected so that they can be held accountable.
The Executive Director of HURIDAC, Mr. Ayodele Ameen, who spoke through the programme officer, Miss Alice Babalola, welcomed all the participants to the parley and thanked them for their presence.
This was just as he acknowledged the sponsorship support of CISLAC and MacArthur Foundation without whom the event would not have been possible and wished the participants a fruitful deliberations.
Ameen said that HURIDAC would continue to interface with the constituents and the candidates to ensure “that the anti corruption plans of the candidates and their party can be used as a benchmark to measure how committed they have lived up to their promise when eventually elected.”
Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Lanre Suraj of CISNAC, who was represented by Comrade Nelson Ekujumi, in his opening remark, lauded HURIDAC for the innovative and laudable action plan against corruption which the Town Hall meeting represented and “for providing a window through which the electorate can hold their representatives accountable for their anti- corruption footprints.
He thanked the organizers and sponsors and wished the gathering a fruitful deliberations.
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