Lagos Assembly amends Electoral Commission law

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Lagos House of Assembly yesterday, reviewed and amended a portion of the law creating the state’s Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).
The legislature revised 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.
Sanai Agunbiade, Leader of the House, told his colleagues that the alteration was permitted by existing law.
Chairman, Committee on Judiciary, Public Petitions and LASIEC, Victor Akande, also explained the repeal.
Akande said it seeks to resolve the lacuna that could occur between the period the tenure of the commission elapses and when new members are appointed by the Governor.
He said “The bill is just for a singular amendment or a fraction of the law and the major issue is that it is seeking for us to give the Governor a leverage in case of scarcity of time.”
Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti-Osa 2) said that the amendment ensures that there will be recourse to the House should there be any reason to extend the tenure of the commission.
The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, in his ruling, explained that the portion of the law was amended to meet the exigencies of time.
Obasa added that a legal extension of the tenure of members of the commission would help them effectively conclude the elections with the backing of the law.
He said an additional six months as suggested by the bill was too wide since the period is simply meant to perfect fresh appointments.
Obas directed the Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, to pass the clean copy to the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent.