Ayodele Adio, the Youth Party’s candidate for Eti-Osa Local Government Area chairmanship, accused the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) on Wednesday of unlawfully redrawing polling units ahead of July’s local council elections.
Adio made this known during a courtesy visit to its Magboro headquarters that LASIEC’s “balkanisation” of polling units tramples constitutional rules and aims to skew the vote.
“Only the Independent National Electoral Commission has authority to define polling units or registration areas,” Adio insisted. “State electoral commissions lack that power.”
He pointed to recent boundary disputes in Delta State—where INEC’s decision to merge four polling units in Warri sparked violent clashes between Itsekiris and Ijaws despite Supreme Court approval—to warn of similar tensions if a state body oversteps its mandate.
Adio also charged that Lagos elections in the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) violate the constitution by diverting funds meant for the 20 recognized local governments. He noted that Honourable James Faleke (Ikeja) and Honourable G.B. Benson (Ikorodu) have petitioned the National Assembly to amend the constitution and legitimize the LCDAs—a move Adio says underscores their current illegality.
“LASIEC has put the cart before the horse by holding LCDA elections now and hoping to legalize them later,” he said. He criticized the commission’s opacity, pointing out that, with polls just a month away, political parties still haven’t received an official polling guide.
“How can we assign agents to undisclosed polling units?” he demanded. “LASIEC wants our agent lists next week, yet it hasn’t told us where the units lie. This predetermined process merely pretends to be fair.”
Adio concluded by urging immediate reforms to restore electoral transparency and uphold constitutional safeguards, warning that the present approach risks eroding democracy and public confidence.
