Lagos Assembly Amends Electoral Law

• The Lagos State House of Assembly has amended the Electoral Commission law.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Lagos State House of Assembly has reviewed and amended a portion of the law creating the state’s Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).

The Lagos Assembly amended the law by creating a subsection for Section 2 of the law.

The newly-added subsection 5 gives the Governor of the State the power to extend the tenure of the commission based on exigencies.

The Leader of the House, Sanai Agunbiade, told the lawmakers that the altercation was permitted by existing law.

Chairman, Committee on Judiciary, Public Petitions and LASIEC, Victor Akande, also explained the repeal.

Akande stated that it seeks to resolve the gap that could occur between the period the tenure of the commission elapses and when new members are appointed by the Governor.

He added that the bill was just for a singular amendment or a fraction of the law and the major issue was that it would seek for the lawmakers to give the Governor leverage in case of scarcity of time.

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On his part, the lawmaker representing Eti-Osa 2, Gbolahan Yishawu, suggested that the amendment ensures that there be recourse to the House should there be any reason to extend the tenure of the commission.

The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, however, explained that the portion of the law was amended to meet the exigencies of time.

Obasa added that a legal extension of the members of the commission would help them effectively conclude the elections with the backing of the law.

The Speaker noted that an additional six months as suggested by the bill was too wide since the period is simply meant to perfect fresh appointments.

Obasa, therefore, directed the Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, to pass the clean copy to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent.

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