LASIEC yet to release candidates’list as LG poll holds in Lagos

Election observers and analysts have faulted the failure of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to release the particulars of all the candidates participating in the local government elections today.

Daily Trust Saturday observed that these credentials are not available on the official website of the commission while the list pasted at LASIEC headquarters was incomplete. Several attempts to get it from the commission also did not yield positive results.

However, LASIEC boss, Justice Ayotunde Phillips (retd.) at a news conference yesterday at its headquarters in Yaba, admitted that the commission was still compiling the list of candidates, a few hours to the commencement of the poll.

The spokesman of the commission, Tope Ojo, didn’t answer several calls to his known telephone number or replied to the SMS seeking clarification if the electoral body had released the list late last night.

Yiaga Africa, one of the groups monitoring the election said the nonavailability of the information has made it difficult for residents to scrutinize the candidates. It also added that it has hampered the work of the group and others in analysing the list to know the number of women, youths and others participating in the poll.

Program Manager of YIAGA Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu, last night, said the group is still waiting for the list as promised by the commission.