The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) released a timetable for election in the 20 local government and 35 local council development areas.

Campaigns by political parties for the election would begin April 30 and end on July 22. The election is slated for July 24, as stated by the 1999 Constitution.

Current LG and LCDA chairs are considered loyalists of Bola Tinubu. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is also seen as Mr Tinubu’s protégé.

The Chairman of LASIEC, Ayotunde Phillips, who stated this in the Notice of Election published on Wednesday in Lagos, said the commission would meet with political parties on Friday to release election guidelines.

“Pursuant to Section 21 (I) Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2008 (as amended), Notice of Election is hereby given as follows: Election into the office(s) of Chairman and Councillors in the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) shall be held on Saturday, July 24,” said Ms Phillips.

Ms Phillips added that the guidelines’ publication by the commission would hold on April 24, while the conduct of political parties’ primary elections will be between May 3 and June 2.

She noted that the collection of nomination forms by political parties would be between May 4 and June 3, while the display of names of nominated candidates and persons nominating them would hold on June 5.

Ms Phillips further stated that names of chairmanship and councillorship candidates would be displayed at the LGs/LCDAs headquarters and ward collation centres, respectively.

According to her, June 11 to June 16 will be the window for withdrawal and substitution of candidates by the political parties, while June 12 will be the period for withdrawal by candidates through their political parties.

The chairman pointed out that June 19 to June 25 would be the extension period for nomination if there is one candidate (only candidates). June 28 would be the closing date for submitting nomination forms of ‘substituted’ and ‘only candidates’ by political parties.

Ms Phillips said June 26 would be for the display of voter register for the elections at the ward collation centres, while the submission of names and addresses of party agents for the poll would be June 28 to June 30.

The commission will validate candidates’ documents from July 1 to July 11 and, on July 14, display a list of validated and invalidated candidates at the commission’s headquarters in Lagos.

She said the final validation of documents for substituted and invalidated candidates would run from July 15 to July 17. The publication of notice of election at the ward collation centres would be July 16.

The final publication of the list of validated candidates at the commission’s headquarters would be July 17.

The chairman explained that July 31 had been set aside for run-off/ re-run election(s) if there was any need for it.

The tenure of the incumbents, who have been in power since 2017, will expire in July.

(NAN)