The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission ( LASIEC ) has presented certificates of return to Messrs Imoleayo Oluwafemi Aderibigbe and Simeon Segun Olamoyegun of the Accord Party as councillors for wards F and H of Odi- Olowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area.
LASIEC said it was in compliance with the ruling of the Lagos State Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting at Ikeja, which ruled in favour of the duo.
Presenting the certificates to the councillors, LASIEC Chairman Justice Ayotunde Phillips (rted), represented by the commission’s Permanent Secretary Mr Olumide Lawal, praised the Accord Party’s leadership, the councillors and their supporters for the confidence reposed in the judicial machinery set up by the government for prosecuting election petitions, rather than resorting to self-help which could lead to a breakdown of law and order.
Phillips recalled the pledge she made at various pre-election stakeholders meetings that the commission would always uphold the rule of law and comply with any order by any court of competent jurisdiction at any stage of the electoral process.
The presentation of the certificates, she said, was a demonstration of the fulfilment of her promise.
The Chairman appealed to the two councillors to join hands with their colleagues to make life better for the entire citizenry in their council, adding that elected political office holders must put service to the people first and make themselves accountable to the people to justify the confidence reposed in them.
“If people who are elected into public office diligently serve the citizenry, Election Management Bodies, including LASIEC, would have little or no cause to worry about voters’ apathy as many eligible voters would enthusiastically participate in the electoral process,” she said.
The Chairman revealed that 27 petitions were filed by different political parties and their candidates over disputes arising from the July 22 council elections, of which two were determined in favour of the petitioners.
Lagos Chairman of the Accord Party, Mr. Olatunde Olugbenga Cole, thanked the commission for the support and cooperation rendered during the tribunal’s sittings.
The experience, Cole said, had strengthened his confidence in the rule of law.
Olamoyegun, who spoke on behalf of his colleague, thanked God and hailed the commission for its commitment to improve in the electoral process.
He promised that they would work hard to make life a lot better for the people in their council, stressing that “out of the 27 petitions that were filed by different political parties, the only two successful ones came in our favour. Hence, we cannot afford to disappoint the electorate that gave us this chance. I have always known the chairman to be a woman of integrity, we all have respect for her.”
