LG poll: Coalition of political parties scores LASIEC 90%
Adeleye Adeyemi
The Coalition of Political Parties in Lagos State (COPPILS) has scored the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) 90 per cent on the conduct of Saturday’s council poll in the state.
Chairman of the coalition, Akinola Obadia, at a news conference on Thursday in Ikeja, Lagos, commended the security agencies and other stakeholders who ensured the election was peaceful.
“We, the Coalition of Political Parties in Lagos State want to congratulate all successful candidates at the just-concluded local government elections.
“COPPILS scored LASIEC 90 per cent with our experience on the field and the feedback we got in the conduct of the elections.
“We also use this medium to advise them to do better in future elections to further prove to people that they are indeed an independent umpire,” Obadia said.
According to him, LASIEC Chairman, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, is a woman of substance, courage and integrity.
He commended her Phillips for standing for the truth and independence of the electoral body.
“We commend all the participants and their supporters for playing by the guidelines of Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission(LASIEC) and maintaining peace, law and order in their conducts.
“We are also grateful to the Nigeria Police Force and other Security Agencies, for maintain neutrality and Professionalism in their conduct,” he added.
He commended the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, for doing “an impressive and commendable job during the elections.”
Obadia said that the coalition, made up of 13 political parties, however, decried voters apathy experienced in the state during the elections.
He enjoined all well-meaning Lagos residents, particularly the youths to show more interest in politics.
According to him, the group recommends a tripartite arrangement that will involve LASIEC and/or INEC, donor agencies, political parties, civil society organisations, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and other identified stakeholders.
He said such tripartite group would work together on this issue of voters apathy as soon as possible ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“We the active political parties in Lagos State, we must begin to sensitise the people on the need to take voting at elections seriously.
“This is imperative if the state will have a better and reasonable turnout in the 2023 election,” he said.
It would be recalled that political parties represented the event include Action Peoples Party ( APP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
Others are the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), Because Of Our Tomorrow (BOOT Party) among others.
