“As a leader of our democracy and a true son of Lagos, we urge the President to engage with the leadership of Lagos State to ensure that forthcoming local government elections adhere strictly to constitutional norms and best democratic practices”
By Nudoiba Ojen
A non-partisan civic organisation, the Lagos Society for Good Governance, has called for the intervention of President Bola Tinubu in the bid to extend the tenure of some Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State beyond constitutional limit.
The group’s coordinator, Ademola Gafar, also urged President Tinubu to direct the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, to issue clear guidance on constitutional term limits for local government administrations.
Gafar, who spoke in a statement in Abuja on Monday, appealed to the President to demonstrate moral leadership by rejecting attempts to extend tenures beyond constitutional limits.
He said, “As a leader of our democracy and a true son of Lagos, we urge the President to engage with the leadership of Lagos State to ensure that forthcoming local government elections adhere strictly to constitutional norms and best democratic practices”.
The group highlighted specific cases in Agado Oke-Odo LCDA, Onigbongbo LCDA and Ikosi Isheri LCDA where chairpersons are allegedly seeking unconstitutional third terms.
It argued that these actions contravene the Fourth Alteration Bill No. 16 of the 1999 Constitution, signed into law in 2018 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the group, the amendment limits individuals who succeed to an office following an incumbent’s death to one additional term. This principle, the group noted, extends to local governments under Section 7 of the Constitution, which mandates democratically elected councils.
“Lagos State, as Nigeria’s centre of excellence, must not set dangerous precedents that undermine constitutional governance,” Gafar stated, calling on the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission to implement reforms that strengthen local government autonomy and disqualify candidates seeking unconstitutional terms.
The group praised recent council elections in Ondo, Akwa-Ibom, and northwest states for adhering to electoral laws, resulting in free, fair, and credible outcomes.
The organisation also recalled President Tinubu’s opposition to tenure elongation during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, expressing confidence that the President would not support undemocratic practices.
It urged the implicated LCDA chairpersons to withdraw from the electoral contest in recognition of constitutional limits, warning that normalising such violations threatens Nigeria’s democracy.
It vowed to pursue all legal and peaceful means to resist attempts to subvert the constitutional order, reaffirming its commitment to democratic principles and good governance.
