The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi, on Sunday, said the forthcoming Local Government elections will hold across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 LCDAs in the state.
He dismissed as distractive speculation the insinuations that the polls may not hold in 57 councils.
Ojelabi said:”We wish to inform all and sundry that the Local Government elections will hold across the state in the 20 Local Government Councils and the 37 Local Council Development Areas in the year 2025.”
According to him, the impacts and contributions of the LCDAs cannot be discounted in the political and socio-economic development of the state.
The chairman said since the creation of the LCDAs, they have not only been the closest to the grassroots, but they have also fostered developments across the state.
He said the party has noted with keen interest the debates on the desirability of the existence of the LCDAs and the need to hold elections into the political offices.
Ojelabi said: “Our position as a progressive party is that we cannot discountenance the contributions of the LCDAs to the overall political and socio-economic development of the state.
“Our landscape is dotted by several infrastructural projects by the LCDAs which include road , drainage and market construction , school and housing projects, primary education and health facilities and various social service interventions etc.
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“The various collaborative efforts with the state government on refuse disposal, drain clearing and security are also pointers to their continuous relevance.”
He added: We hope this release will put paid to further speculations as regards the local government elections in order not to unnecessarily heat up the polity.
“We implore our members and all Lagosians to continue to coexist peacefully as we all strive to maintain the leading position of our state in the federation.”
With this move, the leadership of the party contradicts the earlier position of the Lagos State House of Assembly, which held that local government elections will not be conducted in the state’s 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in 2025.
The decision of the party also dishonours a recent Supreme Court judgement, which granted financial and administrative autonomy to the state’s 20 constitutionally recognised Local Government Areas (LGAs).
