His Excellency,
Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu
Governor of Lagos State
Lagos State Government House
Alausa, Ikeja
Lagos State, Nigeria
Dear Governor Sanwo-Olu,
Open Letter to the Governor of Lagos State
Urgent Call for the Appointment of Members of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) in Acting Capacity
I hope this letter finds you well. We, the concerned citizens of Lagos State, write to respectfully urge Your Excellency to take immediate action by appointing members of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) in acting capacity, pending when the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) is ready to fulfill its constitutional duties.
We are at a critical juncture in the governance of our State, and it is imperative that your leadership steps in to address the stagnation currently hindering the electoral process. The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), as the body responsible for overseeing free and fair elections in the state, cannot continue to remain inoperative due to delays by the Lagos State House of Assembly in making the necessary appointments.
Under Section 208 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended): (1) Power to appoint persons to hold or act in the offices to which this section applies and to remove persons so appointed from any such office shall vest in the Governor of the State, it is within your executive powers to appoint commissioners into LASIEC, and we believe that this power should be exercised urgently. The current inaction is unacceptable, as it puts the future of over 22 million Lagosians at risk by preventing preparations for critical elections.
It is, indeed, disheartening to witness a situation where just 40 elected legislators in the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing a fraction of the population, are holding the entire state to ransom by their failure to act. This undue delay is not only unjust, but it also undermines the democratic process.
In this instance, the legislative arm appears to be overreaching for not screening and clearing or rejecting as the case may be, nominees forwarded to the House for consideration, rather LAHA is busy wanting to amend the Local Government Administration Law by attempting to introduce private members’ amendment bills in matters that fall exclusively under the executive’s domain. Such attempts may lead to unnecessary jurisprudential conflicts and are inconsistent with the principles of separation of powers.
It is time for us to act in the interest of Lagosians and ensure that the process of preparing for the elections is not further delayed. We call on Your Excellency to exercise your constitutional right by appointing nominated members to LASIEC in an acting capacity and swearing them in promptly. This will allow them to begin preparing for the elections in line with the requirements of the Electoral Act 2022, ensuring that the democratic process continues without unnecessary hurdles.
Lagosians are waiting for your leadership, and we trust that you will not allow a small group of legislators to impede the democratic rights of millions of citizens. The time for action is now, and we stand together in urging you to make the appointments without further delay.
We call upon you to respect the will of the people and take swift action by appointing members into LASIEC in an acting capacity. This will ensure a smooth and lawful electoral process, in alignment with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
We look forward to your swift intervention and leadership on this matter.
Thank you for your attention to this pressing issue.
Sincerely,
Concerned Citizens of Lagos State
E- Signed
Omoba Murphy Ajibola
For: Concerned Citizens Citizens of Lagos State
