The Lagos State Chapter of Accord Party, says it will not support the appointment of sole administrators to run affairs of local government councils.
The party also said that the state should begin now to prepare to conduct council polls after the tenure expiration of incumbent chairmen elected on July 22, 2017.
Accord’s Publicity Secretary in Lagos State, Mr Dele Oladeji, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday that the party’s position followed speculations that council elections might not hold in the state in 2021.
Oladeji said that Accord Party had earlier in the year mentioned the aberration of not budgeting for the Constitutionally-dated local government elections in the state in 2021.
Failure to budget for the council elections in 2021, he said, lent credence to the speculation that the council elections might not hold as scheduled.
“In all ramifications, we stand against appointment of sole administrators to run local government areas in Lagos state.
“We stand against appointment of council managers. At every point, there must be a Constitutionally-elected council chairmen and councillors.
“So, we charge the governor of Lagos State and the Lagos Sate House of Assembly to set up a budget for the prosecution of the local government council elections this year at the expiration of terms of the incumbents.
“There must not be any vacuum, ploy or antics to create lapse or encumbrance to foist sole administrators or council managers on the people.
“It is illegal and unconstitutional. That is anti-democratic and as Accord party, we will go all the way to stand against such move,’’ he said.
According to him, the governor needs to toe the path of honour, dignity, legality and constitutionality by conducting local government area elections this year.
Oladeji added that the governor must abide by the Constitution that binds democratic governance in the country.
“The tenure of every local government chairman, whether outgoing or incoming has been clearly stated by the Constitution.
“The administration of local governments which are the closest government structure to the people is not at the determination of the governor or the House of Assembly.
“In Accord party, we say `no to illegality’. The leadership of Lagos State cannot be at the whims and caprices of the state government or the members of the Assembly.
“None of them has the powers to arbitrarily appoint leaders over the people by way of sole administrators. Democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people,’’ Oladeji said.
Lagos State has 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas where elections should hold in the next four months.
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission had restated its preparedness to conduct elections into the council offices.
The state government did not make provisions for such exercise in the 2021 budget, however.