LASIEC releases ‘validated’ candidates’ list for Lagos LG polls

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has released the “validated” list of candidates contesting for chairmanship and councillorship positions in the forthcoming July 12 LGA election.

Over the past few days, there have been concerns over the delay in the release of the candidates’ list for the poll.

According to the election notice published on April 17, LASIEC stated that the candidates’ list will be released on July 1.

When TheCable visited the LASIEC headquarters at Yaba on Thursday, the names of “validated” chairmanship and councillorship candidates were pasted on the notice board of the commission.

TheCable understands that the list was released on Tuesday morning but was removed for some hours to prevent it from being destroyed by rain.

Addressing the reasons for the delay in the release of the candidates’ list at a press conference on Thursday, Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, the chairperson of LASIEC, blamed some candidates for not submitting their documents at the stipulated time.

Okikiolu-Ighile said candidates were meant to present their credentials before they could be “validated” to conduct the election.

“The list came out on very early on Tuesday. The candidates themselves stalled the release of the list,” she said.

“For validation, we will need documents to show because they (candidates) filled out forms and attached copies of their credentials. All these are what the law demands from them, not LASIEC.

“They were meant to bring the originals (documents). Some of them don’t bring the documents. They just filled the forms.”

The documents include curriculum vitae, birth certificate, party membership card, permanent voter card, sponsors’ voter cards (10 for councillors and 20 for chairmen), academic certificates, and a personal data form signed and endorsed by a commissioner of oaths/notary public.

However, the requirements had sparked controversy, with some stakeholders arguing that the conditions, like submitting sponsors’ voter cards, were meant to disenfranchise certain candidates.

In the list published by LASIEC, some candidates were not “validated” over non-submission of some of the aforementioned documents.