Lagos indigenes sue LASIEC over plans to conduct elections in 57 councils

De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, a socio-cultural group of Lagos indigenes, has dragged the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to the Federal High Court in Ikoyi over its plan to conduct local government elections in 57 council areas.

The Foundation is challenging LASIEC’s move to hold elections not only in the 20 constitutionally recognised Local Government Areas (LGAs) but also in the additional 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) created by the Lagos State Government.

In an originating summons marked FHC/L/CS/1012/2025, the group described LASIEC’s plan as “unconstitutional, illegal and a violation of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

The legal action, which is seeking to stop the electoral body from proceeding with the elections in the 57 councils, argued that only the 20 LGAs listed in Part I of the First Schedule to the Constitution are valid administrative units for such democratic exercises.

The group is seeking several reliefs from the court, including: “A declaration that LASIEC lacks the legal authority to organise elections in the 37 LCDAs.

“A perpetual injunction restraining LASIEC from announcing or conducting elections in any council beyond the constitutionally sanctioned 20 LGAs; An order directing LASIEC to restrict its electoral activities strictly to the 20 LGAs.”

As of the time of filing this report, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.

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