? Party chairmen canvass level playing field ahead of general elections

As the tenure of the current local council administration winds down, a group loyal to the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Progressive Group for Democracy (PGD), has raised the alarm over an attempt by some local council officials in Lagos State to run for an unconstitutional third term in the forthcoming elections.

The group described the move as a clear violation of the Constitution and called on President Bola Tinubu to publicly oppose the dangerous trend.

The PGD National Coordinator, Aladesanmi Abiodun Salawu, who raised the alarm during a media briefing in Abuja yesterday, alleged that officials in Agbado Oke-Odo and Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) are exploiting legal technicalities to extend their tenure in contravention of Nigeria?s Constitution.

He said that the affected officials had previously assumed office following the death of elected chairpersons, took the oath of office, and later contested and won full terms.

According to him, their fresh bid to seek another term amounts to a third term, saying that the Fourth Alteration to the Constitution, signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018, bars individuals from seeking a third term after completing a predecessor?s tenure and winning a subsequent election.

He, therefore, called on President Tinubu to publicly reject the third term agenda in Lagos local councils while urging the Attorney General of the Federation to issue an immediate advisory on term limits for local council administrations.

Also, chairmen of various political parties in the state have stressed the need for a level playing field ahead of the 2027 general elections.

They spoke during a forum convened by News Central TV held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.

The party leaders alleged interference in the affairs of smaller parties by larger parties through sponsorship and various unethical means, saying that the practices had further created divisions and an unequal playing field in the electoral process of the state.

The discussions at the forum underscored the importance of continued conversation and cooperation among political actors to sustain Lagos? progress as a leading megacity in the country and Africa. (The Guardian)

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