APM drags LASIEC, Assembly, AG to court over alleged exclusion of two candidates from Lagos LG poll

The Allied People’s Movement (APM) in Lagos State has dragged the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), State House of Assembly and the Attorney General of the state to court over the alleged exclusion of two candidates from participating in the Saturday, July 24 local government election in the state.

According to the party, those allegedly excluded are the chairmanship candidate in Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA, Victor Oluwasegun and councilorship candidate for Ward E, Biola Lawal.

APM also accused LASIEC of “intentionally removing” the names of its candidate in order to allegedly favour the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the poll.

The matter, according to an originating court summons, was said to have been brought before the court in pursuant to section 7(4), 106 and 107 of the 1999 constitution as amended on the eligibility, qualifications and disqualifications of persons contesting for the Local Government Council Election in Lagos state.

The originating court summons dated July 9 was filed before the High Court of Lagos State on behalf of APM by the law firm of S.O Oyeniyi and Co.

Speaking on the application, APM Legal Adviser, Simeon Oyeniyi, said the party is challenging the illegalities of the LASIEC on the forthcoming election while accusing the Lagos House of Assembly of introducing some unrecognized legal phrases into the Electoral Laws of 2008.

The APM counsel lamented that the unrecognized legal phrases is what the LASIEC used in allegedly sidelining other political parties from participating in the election.

He claimed that the APM candidates were disenfranchised despite fulfilling all the constitutional requirements, stressing that LASIEC’s action is contradicting section 7 (4) 106 and 107 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He added, “the party have been disenfranchised especially their candidature from contesting for the position that they will have contested for in this coming election that is slated for 24th July, 2021.

“The electoral pronouncement by the chairperson of LASIEC which was made public sometime in April, 2021 that mandated whosoever member of any party that want to contest for any electoral post or position of a local government to made available some payment of amount of money and as well other conditions such as tendering of evidence of payment of tax which were not recognizable by the Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution and amended 1999.

“We have a chairmanship aspirant from our local government which is LCDA Oke-Agbado, Oke-Odo LCDA. We have a councilor who is also a legal practitioner that wishes to have contested for the position of Councillorship in his ward, but have been disenfranchised and removed by the laws of whims and caprices of the LASIEC put in place.”

Corroborating the legal adviser, the chairmanship candidate, Oluwasegun stressed that LASIEC’s action “is a deliberate plan to ensure that the candidates of the ruling APC become the sole winners in the forthcoming poll.”

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APM drags LASIEC, Assembly, AG to court over alleged exclusion of two candidates from Lagos LG poll

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