Tthe National
Conscience Party (NCP) says the local government election guidelines as
released by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASEIC) are
impossible for many Lagosians to abide by.
At a press
conference held at the party’s office in Ikeja on Monday, its leadership
described the new guidelines as a ploy by the APC-led state government to
impose its “handpicked” candidates on the public.
It claimed
that in spite of the peaceful primary election conducted by the party, the
state electoral body still denied 77 of its candidates' election forms and
registration to participate in the coming council election.
“77
candidates of the National Conscience Party for Lagos Council elections have been
wickedly denied forms and registration. NCP candidates were not given electoral
forms when the NCP Lagos State leadership requested for them, in effect, we are
being ostracized along with millions of people that can never meet the
conditions imposed by LASEIC” the party said.
It decried
the demand for three years tax clearance, resident card/permit and the sum of
N50,000 by LASEIC as “wicked, crude, undemocratic” and a deviation from the
standard led by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Also
speaking at the conference, Olakunle Wiseman, a member of the political party,
asked if the leaders of the state’s ruling party can fulfill the requirements
established by the state electoral body.
Wiseman
noted that if such former governors as Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji
Fashola could not be bothered about tax clearance, it would be immoral to
demand it of those contesting for local government offices.
“The issue
of tax clearance is very much illegal. Let Tinubu himself come out and present
his tax clearance, he has contested elections twice in this state and he has
billions of naira in his accounts everywhere. He has companies he has stolen
from Lagos state government. Where is his tax clearance?” he demanded.
“How do you
ask people to come with resident card? It is abnormal anywhere. During the
Lagos at 50 years anniversary, they said Lagos is home for all and you’re
forcing people to come and have a resident card”.
He asserted
that the constitution of the country does not recognize resident cards and that
it cannot therefore be demanded by a state.
According SR. To that end,
he urged all residents of Lagos state to resist the planned June 22nd council
election.
Speaking on
the ideology of NCP, Olakunle said the current government was scared of NCP’s
masses-focused programs.
“They are
afraid that we are going to restore Lagos State to a real welfare state. They
are also afraid that we are going to expose all the billions of naira they have
stolen from this state. They are afraid we are going to return the land of
people of Otodo Gbame, Badia and all the other places to them,” he said.
He stated
that this is the manifesto of the NCP and the reason APC is “bringing all these
anti-people, unconstitutional, and illegal guidelines.”
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