As part of efforts to ensure free, fair and credible local council elections in the state, the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC has said ad-hoc staff for July 24 council polls will be placed on oath while disloyal staff will be prosecuted.
This was disclosed by the Chairperson of the Commission, retired Hon. Justice Ayotunde Phillips at the Local Government Elections Stakeholders’ Forum organised by the Commission in conjunction with Greysand Global Resources Limited at the Afe Babalola Hall, University of Lagos, UNILAG, Lagos on Monday.
While responding to questions from participants at the forum, the electoral boss expressed regret that in the history of elections in the state, nobody has been prosecuted for electoral offences.
She said, “Our staff are going to select ad-hoc staff for the council polls based on their applications. They are going to be placed on oath to ensure that they perform their duties on Election Day diligently and with utmost loyalty.
And anybody who is reported to have been disloyal to the oath taken would face the law. It is unfortunate that we have not been able to prosecute anybody for electoral offences and that is because politicians come around to shield these people. But this time around, the security agencies have been given the assignments that anybody caught would be made an example of.
Also, we are in the era of the COVID pandemic. We know that the figure in Lagos state has started to rise again with the new Delta variant. Please, tell your people that when they are coming to vote, they should be sure to use facemasks for their safety and the safety of everyone around the polling centres.
On security, we would have the police and the military on the ground to ensure the security of lives and property. Everybody should be able to vote on that day without any fear of being maimed or attacked.
The accreditation and voting will be done at the same time and at the same place. There is no going home and coming back and it will take place between 8 am and 3 pm. We will do our best to ensure that the polling centres are open at the stipulated time. Please assist us with your prayers and cooperation.
This forum is part of the activities of the Commission to ensure a free and fair electoral process and to enlighten and educate the stakeholders to carry out their civic responsibilities during the election. Every participant is not only expected to vote but to also galvanize support for the success of the election. Let us come together to make a success out of the forthcoming local government election in the State.”
In his presentation titled, “Taking ownership of the electoral process-Citizen participation” Comrade Adeola Soetan declared that the absence of free and fair election is a threat to democracy.
According to him, for elections to be said to be free, fair and credible, it must conform to certain basic criteria that’s constitutionally and universally acceptable.
He said, “One of the ways to own the electoral process is for citizens to be conscious enough to properly participate in the democratic and electoral process and to appreciate their rights and civic duties both as citizens and as an electorate.
The main factor that can guarantee the security and credibility of local government elections conducted by the state independent electoral commissions in Nigeria is people’s ownership of the electoral process by popular participation and the unassailable integrity of the respective electoral commission.
Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC has put a lot of energy and creative intellectual work into this pre-election electoral process to make the forthcoming local government election in the state free, fair and credible, it is now for them to walk the talk.
I wish them very well in their simple but hazardous and arduous task because many politicians in Nigeria are malignant, unrepentant election riggers who can frustrate the best intention of the best-unbiased election managers.
I am therefore appealing to stakeholders in the electoral processes, including good politicians, conscientious voters and citizens, honourable security agents, fair media and others to stand firm for democracy always. They must at all times stand for free, fair and credible elections, seize the initiative of collective ownership and close monitoring of the election and the electoral process in order to guarantee violence-free election for popular participation, good governance and development. If we get our election right at the grass-root levels, we may ultimately get it right at other levels of our democratic electoral experience.”
Earlier in his welcome address, lead consultant of the forum, Mr Adeyinka Jeje commended the State electoral body for holding stakeholders to task for the council polls.
“I must commend the Chairman and the entire Commission for working towards and holding the Stakeholders’ forum in the three Senatorial Districts of the State despite the tight schedule of the election timetable.
The Stakeholders’ Forum which serves as a platform for Voter Education in each of the Senatorial districts is extremely essential, as it enables the Commission to interact, interface and share ideas with the most active layer of the political gladiators.
Election, we all know is the pinnacle of the electoral process but the Stakeholders’ Forum gives all parties interested in the election, the opportunity to be reminded that the game has to be played according to the rules. It is an educative forum. It is a means of providing voters in a particular democracy with basic information about participating in an election.
Election in this context is a democratic procedure through which one person or more are elected as representatives of a constituency.
However, in a situation when the minority of about 25 per cent came out to vote, can we still say the system is democratic?
What could be responsible for this? It simply means people have not taken ownership of the electoral system. People can only control what they own electorally. This raises the issue of “Ownership of the electoral system.
Without mincing words, the people should own the electoral system. This can only be possible when they are actively involved and participate in the electoral process hence the topic of the paper presented at this forum.
With the topic, we are challenging every participant to his/her responsibilities as a resident of Lagos State and take appropriate ownership of the electoral landscape.
It is in this light I am appealing to you, distinguished participants to start taking ownership of the electoral process by taking ownership of this voter education forum. You need to be very active and participate optimally during this programme to be able to bring out the best in all of us.”
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