APC wins all 57 chairmanship seats; PDP, 4

TWO days after the conduct of the July, 22 Local Government elections into the 20 Local Government areas and 37 Local Council Development areas in Lagos State, the state’s Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, yesterday, officially released the result of the polls, with All Progressives Congress, APC, clinching all the chairmanship slots.

LASIEC DELIVERS: From left— Commissioner, Mr. Olusegun Ayedun; Chairman, Justice Ayotunde Phillips (retd.); Commissioner, Mrs Toyin Ibrahim, and another Commisioner, Dr. Noah Lawal-Jinadu, all Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, at the presentation of Certificate of Return to the newly-elected chairmen and counsellors by the Commission in Yaba, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.
While APC won all the chairmanship seats, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Accord Party, AP, won four and three councillorship seats, respectively.
This came as a coalition of civil society groups, who were accredited to monitor the polls, yesterday returned a verdict of hard work and dedication to duty to LASIEC Chairman, Justice Ayotunde Philips (retd.), who they honoured with an award.
APC wins
Announcing the results at LASIEC’s headquarters, Sabo, Yaba, Justice Philips commended candidates and residents for conducting themselves peacefully, during and after the elections.
According to Philips, a total of 12 political parties participated in the elections, recalling that the commission had, on Friday, April 7, published the Notice of Elections, which announced the date of the elections into the chairmanship and councillorship posts in the 57 councils of the state.
The LASIEC boss said: “The results of the chairmanship and councillorship elections into the 57 Local Governments/Local Council Development areas of the state, as already announced by Returning Officers at each of the Ward Collation Centres and Local Government/ Local Council Development Area Collation Centres, are as follows:
“APC won all the 57 chairmanship, while it also won 369 councillorship seats. Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won four councillorship seats, while Accord Party won three councillorship seats.”
While she commended residents of the state, particularly leaders of political parties, their members, the electorate and other stakeholders for their support towards the successful conduct of the election, Philips said the commission worked tirelessly to guarantee fairness and justice for all the political parties and their candidates.
“This is the right way to go if we really desire development and growth in the various communities of the state.”
Hiccups
Admitting the late commencement of the elections in some polling units, the commission’s boss attributed the delay to the early morning downpour, which, she said, was beyond the control of the Commission.
Congratulating the winners in the elections on their victory, she urged them to display magnanimity in victory and attribute their success at the polls as the will of God.
She also urged the unsuccessful candidates to demonstrate the spirit of good sportsmanship and patiently look forward to another opportunity in the future.
She appealed to aggrieved candidates to seek redress at the Elections Petitions Tribunal, noting that the Commission has no power to settle any disputes arising from the conduct of the elections.
Civil society groups honour Philips
Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society groups have commended the LASIEC boss in recognition of her hard work, dedication to duty and hitch-free exercise.
Presenting an award to the LASIEC boss, leader of the group, Mr. Richards Adebayo, described the election as the best ever conducted, urging other states to emulate Lagos.