All is now set for the Lagos State local government council elections scheduled for today, Saturday, July 12, 2025.
From the Mainland to the Island, political actors, election observers, and residents await what many consider a quiet but significant test of the state’s political terrain.
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, had released the final list of validated candidates contesting for chairmanship and councillorship positions across the state’s 20 Local Government Areas, LGAs, and 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs.
Voting is expected to begin as early as 8 a.m., with security personnel and election materials reportedly deployed across the 13,325 polling units.
Local government elections in Nigeria are often marked by low voter turnout and limited national media attention, but in Lagos, this year’s poll carries added significance.
The vote comes at a time when the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is working to reassert its dominance at the grassroots, following pockets of opposition gains in the 2023 general elections.
Political observers say this election could serve as a temperature check on the strength of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration and, by extension, the influence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his home state.
Major Contenders: APC holds fort, LP eyes inroads
As expected, the All Progressives Congress remains the party to beat. Having controlled Lagos since 1999, the APC boasts a formidable grassroots structure and political machinery that stretches from the ward level to the top.
However, the Labour Party, LP, which stunned many by winning several key polling units during the 2023 presidential election in Lagos, especially in places like Amuwo-Odofin, Eti-Osa, and Surulere, is hoping to consolidate those gains at the local level.
LP candidates have been active in certain LGAs, although their campaign visibility remains uneven across the state.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, once the main opposition in Lagos, has been largely quiet in the buildup to this election, reflecting its ongoing internal crises and waning public presence.
In the days leading to the vote, civil society organisations and opposition figures expressed concern about the preparedness of LASIEC.
A major flashpoint was the delayed release of the official candidate list, only made public on July 8, just four days before the polls.
Opposition candidates, especially those of the Labour Party, have also reported intimidation, vandalism of campaign posters, and concerns over impartiality in some LGAs.
One candidate in Amuwo-Odofin alleged a plot to disrupt the election and called on LASIEC and security agencies to act swiftly.
Despite these tensions, the electoral commission has assured Lagosians that all is in place for a credible poll.
LASIEC Chairperson, Justice Ayotunde Phillips (rtd.) stated that adequate arrangements have been made, including provisions for vulnerable voters such as the elderly, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities.
Governor Sanwo-Olu has urged Lagosians to turn out en masse, stressing that local governments are the closest tier of government to the people and a vital link in the delivery of essential services.
Security agencies, including the Lagos State Police Command, have also reassured the public of a safe voting environment, promising that officers will be deployed to maintain order at every polling unit.
Though often underplayed, local government elections are crucial. They determine who controls development budgets at the grassroots, who oversees local markets, roads, schools, and sanitation and who becomes the foot soldiers of state and national parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Text except headline courtesy of Dailypost
