LASIEC now in possession of voter register from INEC, set for LG poll ― Phillips

Chairman, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Hon Justice Ayotunde Phillips (retd), saidon Tuesday that the commission is set for the elections into the 57 LGs and LCDAs in the state holding in June having received the soft copy of the register of voters for the State from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Philip made this disclosure while speaking at the Civic Populace Stakeholders’ Forum organised as part of the continuous civic education programme of the Commission, even as she charged registered voters who were yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to do so immediately to enable them cast their votes in the council poll holding in four months‘ time.

This was just as she assured that the commission was working tirelessly to ensure that every challenge that could constitute a threat and impede the successful conduct of elections into the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the state was removed.

The LASIEC boss said following the receipt of the material from INEC, her agency had already started printing the register in preparation for the coming exercise.

The LASIEC boss also reminded eligible voters who were yet to register to ensure that they get registered with the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), saying it was the only agency empowered by the constitution to compile the register of voters throughout the country.

She, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the increasing rate of voter apathy to the electoral process not only at the local government level, but also at the state and national levels.

She, therefore, stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to reverse the unacceptable trend so that the electoral process could be more participatory and representative.

Hon Justice Phillips also noted that electoral violence and thuggery could scare people away and force them to lose interest in the political process not only at the local government level, but also at the other levels of government.

She, however, contended that the problems of voter apathy and electoral violence could be brought under effective control if the Civic populace stakeholders could collaborate with the Commission in its campaign to curb the unacceptable development, in view of the eminent positions occupied by stakeholders as role models in the society.

It would be recalled that the commission had often said one of the obstacles standing on its way to holding election into the council areas is the non- availability of voter register from the INEC.