The Lagos State chapter of the National Conscience Party on Wednesday said it was stepping up preparations for the July 22 council poll despite its suit against the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission over the imposition of administrative fees on candidates.
The state Chairman of the party, Fatai Ibu-Owo, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the litigation had not stopped the party’s preparation.
Ibu-Owo was reacting to the ongoing screening of parties’ candidates by LASIEC, in which the party is not included.
All the candidates nominated by the political parties that agreed to pay the administrative fees of N50,000 for chairmanship candidates, N30,000 (Vice-Chairmanship) and N25,000 (Councillorship) are participating in the screening, which began on June 26.
The NCP, however, is challenging the fees fixed by LASIEC in court, asking that they be declared illegal.
Ibu-Owo said the party would carry on with its campaigns in spite of its candidates not being screened yet, because it believed the court would grant it participation at the polls after a favourable judgment.
He said: “Yes, LASIEC has started screening of candidates for the election and we have been shut out as we were not given forms owing to our suit against them.
“But we are undaunted.
“We are stepping up our preparations for the elections and our candidates are reaching out.
“We believe we have a good case against LASIEC and that is why we are campaigning vigorously despite our exclusion in the process, so that if the court rules in our favour, we will be ready.”
Ibu-owo said the suit had suffered some delays, but expressed optimism that it would soon come up and justice would be done.
NAN reports that the local government election is only 17 days away, July 22, with re-run fixed for July 29.
The NCP chairman, also a chairmanship candidate in Oshodi/Isolo, said the party was the only option for accelerated development at the grassroots.
He said the ruling All Progressives Congress had over the years failed Lagosians in bringing real development to the masses.
The Chairman of LASIEC, retired Justice Ayotunde Phillips, had on June 30 said the commission had begun the screening of candidates for the election.
Phillips said the list of the validated and invalidated candidates would be displayed by the commission on the completion of the screening a fortnight from then.
She pointed out that parties still had the opportunity to substitute the names of invalidated candidates after the display.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
