Lagos State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the State House of Assembly to resist any attempt not to conduct the coming local government polls, saying they should ensure the exercise hold as when due “in order to prevent the state of lawlessness at that government level.”
The party made this call on Sunday in a statement made available to newsmen by its spokesperson, Mr Taofik Gani, noting that the tenure of the council administrators in the state expires in about three months from now, while information at its disposal from some chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) suggests that the exercise would not hold and that Caretaker Committees shall be set up at that level.
But APC in a swift reaction by its spokesperson, Hon Seye Oladejo, assured Lagosians that the party as one that believes in the rule of law, upholds the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the tenets of democracy, would ensure that the poll exercise hold at the appropriate times, adding that there was absolutely no need to cry wolves where there was none.
PDP, while urging Governor Sanwo-Olu to resist any attempt not to conduct local government elections in the state, warned that any move to entrench undemocratic councils would not only fester anarchy at that level.
The party vowed that it would deploy all means legal “to ensure that Lagosians have their self chosen representatives at the councils and that if the APC machination prevents democratically elected representatives in the state as at when due, Lagosians must say no.”
“We call on the state governor and LAHA to resist any attempt not to conduct local government elections in order to prevent the state of lawlessness at that government level,” PDP further warned.
“Section 7 of the 1999 Nigeria’s Constitution as amended ‘guarantees democratically elected local government councils.’
“We are informed that the APC plans not to conduct local elections this year. The tenure of the councils expire in about three months. Interestingly this information got to us from the APC aspirants themselves. They are interested in contesting and like all other parties’ wish, an election must be conducted,” the party alleged.
“The APC is jittery of any local government elections as the majority of the councils have performed very disappointingly and cannot win any fair polls to retain control,” it added.
Reacting further, APC, while describing the allegations raised by PDP as baseless and “needless ranting about the local government elections that are not even due and for which we await an official pronouncement,” congratulated the opposition party for characteristically finding its voice again as a result of the impending poll exercise in the state.
Besides, APC said the outburst by PDP shows what it described as the idleness and needless rabble-rousing of its confused leadership, adding: “We can only sympathise with the fact that the opposition PDP will struggle to field candidates for the elections.”
“For the umpteenth time, let me state categorically that the comatose Lagos State PDP only comes alive during the election season only to withdraw to its cocoon after the traditional perennial defeat.
“Their monumental defeat during the recently held Lagos East Senatorial and Kosofe 2 Lagos State House of Assembly by-elections has further exposed the ineptitude of the PDP opposition that’s bereft of winning capability as a result of their constant rejection at the polls,” the party said.
“The baseless allegation or suspicion to entrench undemocratic governance at the local government level in the state is not in tandem with the fact that Lagos State has always had democratically elected leaders at the grassroots since the inception of this dispensation. It’s also noteworthy that activities and preparations towards the local government elections as admitted by the opposition spokesman are only prevalent in the ruling party in the state,” it added.
“As a party that believes in the rule of law, upholds the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the tenets of democracy, we wish to assure Lagosians that local government elections will hold in our state at the appropriate time. There’s absolutely no need to cry wolves where there’s none,” it assured.
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