By ADEYEMI ADELEYE

Political parties have urged the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to reduce nomination fees for candidates contesting the July 12 Local Government election.

The parties made the appeal during a stakeholders meeting between LASIEC and political parties on Tuesday in Lagos.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition party leaders disagreed over LASIEC?s administrative fees for the upcoming Local Government election.

Party leaders held differing views on whether to increase, reduce, or entirely remove the nomination fees from the yet-to-be-released election guidelines.

They shared their positions at the Stakeholders Meeting organised by LASIEC ahead of the election guidelines? release on Thursday.

In the 2021 election guidelines, LASIEC fixed nomination fees at N150,000 for chairmanship, N100,000 for vice-chairmanship, and N75,000 for councillorship positions.

Most opposition parties demanded that LASIEC slash the 2021 fees by 50 per cent due to Nigeria?s current economic hardship.

However, the ruling APC advised the commission to raise the fees to reflect today?s economic realities.

Mr Sam Okpala, Labour Party, Lagos Secretary, urged LASIEC to reduce the fees to ease the burden on candidates.

Mr Dele Oladeji, Accord Chairman in Lagos, said Ogun conducted LG elections without charging nomination fees.

?LASIEC is not a revenue-generating agency. If not scrapped, these fees should at least be reduced significantly,? Oladeji added.

He warned that high fees might prevent well-meaning citizens from contesting, advocating for either removal or a 50 per cent cut.

Mr Kehinde Jegede, General Secretary of African Action Congress (AAC), also called for a 50 per cent fee reduction to avoid disenfranchisement.

Chief Adewale Bolaji, Chairman of Action Democratic Party (ADP), said nomination forms should be issued freely without any fees.

?Even political parties have stopped charging for forms due to the country?s economic situation.

?Forcing people to pay what they don?t have will exclude many candidates,? Bolaji said.

Mr Johnson Ololade of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) said if fees couldn?t be cut, the 2021 rates should remain.

Meanwhile, Dr Adeola Jokomba, APC Secretary in Lagos, opposed reducing the nomination fees, citing the need for progress.

?The economy is tough, but we should not go backwards. I suggest we either maintain the fees or raise them, but not reduce them,? Jokomba said.

Dr Dayo Ekong, Chairperson of Lagos Labour Party, urged LASIEC to waive fees for women and people with disabilities.

Responding, LASIEC Chairman, Retired Justice Mobolanle Okikiola-Ighile, assured that all suggestions would be considered before the final guidelines are released.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 16 of 19 registered political parties in Lagos attended the stakeholders meeting. (NAN)

?PHOTO: Board members of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) and members of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) at the commission?s stakeholders meeting at LASIEC Headquarter on Tuesday in Lagos.

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