The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has commenced its series of stakeholder engagements across the state, kicking off in Ikorodu division, with a firm commitment to delivering a credible and inclusive local government election on Saturday, July 12, 2025.
This inaugural forum marks the beginning of LASIEC’s outreach across all five administrative divisions of Lagos (Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island, and Epe).
Chairman of LASIEC, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, addressed a diverse audience including political party representatives, civil society organizations, youth groups, persons with disabilities, security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, market associations, and media personnel.
She emphasised the Commission’s dedication to ensuring an orderly, transparent, seamless, inclusive, and conclusive election. “Building public confidence and trust is paramount to a successful electoral exercise,” she stated.
She noted that the forum aimed to gather valuable input from stakeholders under the theme, ‘Enhancing a credible and inclusive Local Government Elections in Lagos State.’
She confirmed that LASIEC had already issued the Notice of Election and Election Guidelines, signaling the official start of the electoral process, and assured strict adherence to the legal framework.
The Ayangburen of Ikorodu Land, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, urged LISEC to increase the number of polling booths, particularly in rapidly developing areas like Maya. He stressed the importance of collaborating with Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs) to identify areas requiring additional booths to enhance voter participation.
“Contact CDAs and CDCs to pinpoint streets needing extra polling booths; it’s crucial for boosting voter turnout,” the monarch stated. He also called for the timely distribution of voting materials and enhanced voter education, particularly for artisans and market women, emphasizing their crucial role in the election.
LASIEC assured stakeholders of its commitment to maintaining a level playing field for all political actors and emphasized the importance of stakeholder involvement in promoting transparency, inclusivity, and participation.
The Commission also highlighted its dedication to inclusivity by offering free nomination forms to female aspirants and persons with disabilities, and prioritizing the elderly, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and persons living with disabilities during voting.
The Commission appealed to stakeholders to join in combating voter apathy and rejecting political violence, expressing optimism for constructive contributions from the forum.
Dr. Noah Jinadu, Associate Professor at Lagos State University, stressed the forum’s role in addressing misinformation and voter apathy. He advised LASIEC to prioritize independence, transparency, and technology to enhance election credibility. He also emphasized the importance of security collaboration, inclusive participation, and accessible polling booths with sign language support.
Responding to stakeholder questions, the Chairman assured the aged and people with disabilities of adequate provision for seamless voting.
