The Youth Party (YP) Chairmanship Candidate for Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Mr. Ayodele Adio, has maintained that the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) lacks constitutional authority to conduct elections into the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), arguing that they are not recognized under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Local government elections are scheduled for July 2025 in Lagos State. However, controversy has emerged over LASIEC’s decision to include the 37 LCDAs in the electoral process despite their absence from constitutional recognition.
In a statement, Adio criticized moves—particularly by stakeholders within the All Progressives Congress (APC)—to proceed with elections in the LCDAs, describing the action as unlawful.
“You mentioned that elections were going to hold in 20 Local Governments and 37 LCDAs. That was a combustible issue in the debate we had during the public hearing. Just like the Youth Party did in its presentation, several other lawyers and political parties made it clear that it is illegal to contest elections in 37 LCDAs that are not recognized by the Constitution.”
He expressed concern that despite what he described as clear constitutional arguments, preparations for elections in the LCDAs are continuing.
“Unfortunately, it seems business is going on as usual. The media has also propagated the narrative that elections will hold in the 37 LCDAs when it is a clear illegality. If indeed those 37 LCDAs are recognized by law, Honorable Jimi Benson and Honorable Faleke would not be sponsoring an amendment in the National Assembly to recognize the 37 LCDAs as legitimate local governments in Lagos.”
According to Adio, the existence of a constitutional amendment bill seeking to legitimize the LCDAs underscores their current lack of legal status.
“They recognize that those LCDAs are not recognized by law. Hence, they are sponsoring that bill in the National Assembly to amend the Constitution. Until that amendment is made, it is illegal and unconstitutional to conduct or elect members into those LCDAs that are complete strangers to the law.”
He further referenced the historical context of the LCDAs, noting that they were created during the tenure of Bola Tinubu as Governor of Lagos State and that the matter was litigated up to the Supreme Court. However, he pointed out that at the federal level, allocations are currently made only to the 20 constitutionally recognized Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos.
“As passionate as he is about the 37 LCDAs, none of them got a dime from Abuja. So, why are we perpetuating this gross and brazen illegality by conducting elections into offices that are not recognized by the law? How is it going to be funded?”
Adio concluded by calling for strict adherence to constitutional provisions, warning that conducting elections into entities not recognized by law could undermine electoral integrity and deepen legal inconsistencies within Lagos State’s governance framework.