Sanwo-Olu Makes Fresh Appointments Ahead Of Lagos LG Election

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has given his approval for the appointment of six individuals to fill key roles within the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), in preparation for the forthcoming local government elections.

Naija News understands that the appointed individuals include Justice Bola Okikiolu Ighile (Rtd), to serve as the Chairman and Samson Ajibade, Oluwo Durojaiye, Metilelu Olusola, Aileru Abeeb Dapo, and Oladele Adekanye, who will be joining as members.

The development was confirmed in a statement released on Wednesday by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso.

According to Omotoso, details of the inauguration ceremony will be made public soon.

It’s worth noting that on June 7, 2024, LASIEC kicked off a significant initiative to review and amend its electoral laws to align with global election standards.

This initiative is seen as a crucial step towards enhancing the electoral process.

During a stakeholders’ meeting focused on the amendment of LASIEC’s laws and other electoral regulations in the state, Ademola Gbadegesin, the Director of Elections Operations, emphasized the importance of citizen participation in local government elections.

He highlighted that local government elections are considered the cornerstone of democracy, valued for their direct impact on communities.

“It impacts directly on the existential survival of the community people, aside from being an essential feature of modern participatory democracy,” Gbadegeshin added that elections are the cornerstone of any democracy, reflecting the will of the people and ensuring that governance is carried out with legitimacy and accountability.

“To achieve this objective, there must be sustainable legal work.

“We will continue to engage all stakeholders and other critical interests in elections and the electoral process so as to continue to deliver our mandate with openness and credibility,” he noted.

Naija News reports that the latest move by Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration comes following the Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday, which allowed local councils to manage their finances independently and banned the use of federal funds by caretaker committees.

Just days after the ruling, more than a dozen states had scheduled elections for their local governments.

States that have begun preparations for their local government elections include Kaduna, Kogi, Bauchi, Katsina, Osun, Enugu, Benue, Rivers, Jigawa, Imo, Kebbi, Abia, and Anambra.

The Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for state governors to control the funds designated for local government councils.

In the ruling by Justice Emmanuel Agim and his seven-member panel, it was decided that the 774 local government councils across the nation should handle their finances independently.

This decision was reached in the case: SC/CV/343/2024, which was brought by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), against the 36 state governors.

The Attorney-General of the Federation took legal action against the state governors through their state attorneys-general.

The Supreme Court stated that the government is structured into three levels: federal, state, and local.