The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has sought the intervention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the monitoring of Labour Party primaries, following the emergence of three rival factions laying claim to the party’s structure in the state.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement forum in Ikeja on Thursday, LASIEC Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd.), disclosed that the Commission had received separate invitations from three different Labour Party factions, each requesting LASIEC’s presence to observe their respective primary elections.
The conflicting claims prompted LASIEC to write to INEC for guidance before taking any further steps.
“Today, they (Labour Party) invited us, unfortunately, it’s just a faction of the Labour Party that invited us,” she said.
“On our records, we have three fractions with different sets of names, and because of that, we had to forward a letter to INEC for advice. Until we get a response, we cannot participate in any of the primaries. Each faction has been informed of this.”
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Justice Okikiolu-Ighile emphasized that LASIEC will maintain a neutral stance until INEC determines which faction is duly recognized.
“We have now written to INEC to advise us on which faction we should interact with. That is why we did not attend the primaries conducted by one of the Labour Party factions today,” she explained.
Despite the ongoing internal disputes, the LASIEC Chairman affirmed that the Labour Party has expressed its intention to contest in the July 12 local government elections.
“The Labour Party will participate. They have made their intentions known. What I stated was just to clarify why LASIEC did not observe their primaries,” she noted.
Providing a broader update on the electoral process, Justice Okikiolu-Ighile confirmed that 19 political parties have registered to participate in the upcoming local government elections.
She also detailed LASIEC’s observation activities, stating that the Commission observed the All Progressives Congress (APC) councillorship primaries the previous weekend and would observe the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) primaries scheduled for Saturday.
“We received letters from the PDP and the SDP confirming that their primaries will be held on Saturday. By God’s grace, we will be there, but only as observers,” she said.
“We were at ACME (the APC secretariat) last Saturday, and our Electoral Officers (EOs) were at different wards where the council primaries were held. At primaries, our role is strictly observational. We do not advise or intervene.”
The stakeholders’ forum, themed “Enhancing a Credible and Inclusive Local Government Elections in Lagos,” brought together traditional rulers, market leaders, youth representatives, civil society organisations, and political party officials.
The event served as a platform for discussing strategies to ensure a transparent and inclusive electoral process in the state.