Politics
Lagos Assembly, Council Chairmen Disagree On Funding
The Lagos State House of Assembly has disagreed with some local government chairmen over the latter’s claims of paucity of funds as a hindrance to the development of infrastructure in their Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr Olayiwola Olawale, made his feelings known in Ikorodu during an oversight tour of the LGA and the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the zone.
The Tide source reports that other members of the House committee were Mr Joseph Kehinde, Alimosho II, Mr Rasheed Makinde, Ifako Ijaiye II, Mr Nureni Akinsanya Mushin I and Mr Rauf Age-Sulaimon , Amuwo Odofin II.
Olawale disputed the claims of the council chairmen, arguing that there were enough funds flowing from the federal and state governments into local council coffers.
The lawmaker, representing Mushin Constituency II, noted that the issue was the lack of creative ways of generating funds to help the councils to develop their infrastructure.
Olawale said the Ikorodu council and the LCDAs were surrounded by commercial ventures even though they were agrarian communities, adding that there was need for them to be re-orientated and enlightened on how to generate funds.
“I don’t know what they mean by paucity of funds. You and I know that there is enough funds coming from the federal, as well as the state, into the local government administrations.
“What I discovered is that they are not putting genuine effort into the local administration of funds. They are not using their creative ways to generate funds.
“Agreed, it is an agrarian area but still surrounded by many commercial ventures that they can tap on.
“The leadership of the councils still needs to be re-orientated and enlightened on how to generate funds.” he said.
Corroborating, a member of the committee, Mr Kehinde said the claims of paucity of funds was not tenable as the councils had not been able to measure up with the given allocation.
Kehinde, representing Alimosho Constituency II, said he did not believe that Ikorodu Local Government Council did not have enough and questioned what they had been using their allocations for.
The lawmaker said most of them have yet to make severance payments to political office holders, as directed.
He said: “Before our visitation, I was one of those people that usually believed that Ikorodu did not have money.
“If they are saying they don’t have enough funds, are they judiciously spending the money they have collected?’’ he asked.
Earlier, some council chairmen had lamented the paucity of funds as the reason undermining infrastructural development in their areas.
The Council chairman, Ikorodu West LCDA, Mrs Olajumoke Ademeyin-Jimbo, said efforts were being made to jerk up the revenue of the council in order to meet their infrastructural needs.
Ademeyin-Jimbo said that the council needed money to rehabilitate the roads in its rural communities.
The chairman, Ikorodu Local Government, Mr Wasiu Ayodeji, also acknowledged the challenge posed by the paucity of funds.
“The challenge is finance, especially with the splitting of Ikorodu Local Government into six.
“However, we are appealing to the state government and the assembly to come to our aid in terms of the development of infrastructure in the council areas,” he said.
Mr Sesan Daini, Chairman, Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA, said that all the grey areas discovered by the house committee would be looked into, pointing out the councils would embark on more projects.
The Chairman, Imota LCDA, Mr Wasiu Agoro, said that the council has improved on the provision of welfare for its staff and their internal revenue generation has also been enhanced.
Also, Mr Adeola Banjo, the Chairman, Ikorodu North LCDA commended the committee for giving it as pass mark after inspecting some of the projects it carried out.
Banjo promised to continue to do his best, adding that the commendation has encouraged him to do more.
Rt Hon. Abbas secured the party’s ticket through an affirmation exercise conducted across the 13 electoral wards in the constituency.
The wards involved include Kwarbai A, Kwarbai B, Limancin-Kona, Unguwar Fatika, Unguwar Juma, Dutsen Abba, Gyallesu, Kufena, Dambo, Wuchichiri, Tudun Wada, Tukur-Tukur, and Kaura.
The exercise, which began simultaneously in all wards at about 10 a.m., recorded large turnout of APC members who gathered at various party offices across the constituency.
At Kwarbai B Ward, the Speaker’s ward, the process was conducted peacefully under the supervision of the ward APC Returning Officer, Malam Iliyasu Muhammad Balarabe, in the presence of Rt Hon. Abbas.
According to the ward APC secretary, Nafiu Sabo, the ward has over 10,000 registered members, but 220 members were accredited for the exercise.
Before the affirmation, Mallam Balarabe informed members that Rt Hon Abbas was the only aspirant who purchased nomination forms, underwent screening, and was cleared by the APC national leadership to contest the Zaria Federal Constituency seat.
Following a voice vote by accredited members, the Speaker was affirmed as the party’s candidate in the ward, a process replicated across the remaining 12 wards.
At the constituency collation centre, the APC Returning Officer for the House of Representatives primary in Zaria Federal Constituency, Dr. Hamisu Ibrahim Kubau, announced that 1,376 APC members across the 13 wards endorsed Rt Hon. Abbas as the party’s flag bearer.
He explained that although thousands of party members participated in the exercise, only accredited delegates were allowed to vote.
Dr. Kubau declared: “There are 13 wards in Zaria Federal Constituency, and only one aspirant purchased a form, was screened, and cleared. He is Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen. After due process, we conducted affirmations across all wards.”
He added that the process was peaceful and monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and party representatives.
Chairman of the APC House of Representatives Primary Elections in Kaduna State, Senator Yakubu Oseni, described the outcome as a reflection of the Speaker’s popularity and acceptance among constituents.
He expressed confidence that Rt Hon Abbas would secure victory in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking after his declaration, Rt Hon. Abbas expressed appreciation to APC members for reaffirming their confidence in him.
The incumbent Reps including Emily Inyang and Godwin Offionio, in separate interviews
protested the handling of the primaries conducted by the leadership of the party in the state, saying it was skewed against them.
The aspirants further described the primaries as a charade and an embarrassment to the state.
According to them, the House of Representatives primaries fell short of the provisions of both the Electoral Act as amended in 2026 and the party’s constitution.
They accused the leadership of the party in the state, backed by Governor Bassey Otu, of violating the party’s constitution in the conduct of the House of Representatives primaries across the state on Saturday.
Hon. Godwin Offiono, representing Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency, particularly expressed disappointment with the primary that allegedly disenfranchised registered members of the party in his constituency.
Hon. Offiono asserted that having failed to arrive at a consensus, the party leadership opted for a direct primary to decide the candidate for the 2027 election.
“But what I witnessed today was not only alarming, but quite disheartening that our electoral system have not shown any improvement, especially now that we have a man of God in the person of the governor as the leader of the party.
“How do you declare a result by 9:00am even when the electoral materials were yet to arrive at Yala.
“As an aspirant, I couldn’t even vote or see the materials for my own primary at my Okuku ward in Yala Local Government Area, where I come from. But no matter what happens I am still in the race and have not stepped down for anybody.
“The governor had all the time in the world to drive the process of consensus but he never did. As a representative, I cannot even see my governor. I called, no response. I sent text no reply. I am treated as an out cast,” he lamented.
In an emotion laden tone during a telephone interview, Hon. Offiono further said: “I could not believe that first term NASS members like me can be treated in this shoddy manner even when I don’t know my offence.
“I have been a loyal party man. I appeal to the governor to do the right thing, follow the Electoral Act and party constitution in electing representatives.”
Similarly, Hon. Emil Inyang of Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency said he still remained in the race and had not stepped down for anybody.
According to him, “If this shenanigan called primary is allowed to stand, it would affect the party’s fortune in the general elections.
“My appeal to the governor is to allow the people to decide. And if they so voted against me, I will rest and not fight over anything.
“There was no stakeholders meeting held to decide on anything before now, and someone can not be unilaterally imposed on us all in the name of compromised primary,” he stated.
A coalition of support groups within the All Progressives Congress (APC) has protested the disqualification of former presidential aspirant, Mr Tein Jack-Rich, from the Rivers West Senatorial race ahead of the party’s primaries for the 2027 general elections.
The groups, in a statement issued on Saturday morning in Abuja, described the action of the party’s screening committee as unjust and capable of worsening internal divisions within the APC in Rivers State.
The statement, signed by the coalition’s National Coordinator, Dr. Bilal Galadima, and General Secretary, Hon. James Ogenyi, accused the party leadership in Rivers State of favouring politicians loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, while sidelining long-standing members of the APC.
The coalition alleged that only aspirants aligned with Chief Wike were cleared to contest for elective positions in the state.
“How can our party allow only one man who is not a member of our party to make decisions or dictate the direction of our party?”, the group queried.
The coalition specifically faulted the exclusion of Mr Jack-Rich, describing him as a loyal party member who had supported the APC for more than 13 years and previously contested the party’s presidential ticket.
It also questioned the alleged clearance of Chief Felix Obua, whom it described as a recent entrant into the party and an ally of Chief Wike.
“How can our party disqualify Jack-Rich, a former presidential aspirant who has been loyal and supported our party for the last 13 years, only for our party to choose Felix Obua, a Wike loyalist who only joined the party three months ago?”, the statement read.
The group warned that failure by the APC leadership and National Working Committee (NWC) to address the matter as it could weaken the party’s structure in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 elections.
It called on party leaders to uphold internal democracy, reward loyalty and ensure a level playing field for all aspirants.
INEC TO BEGIN MEMBERSHIP VERIFICATION AS POLITICAL PARTIES SUBMIT REGISTER
All 22 registered political parties have successfully submitted their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, the Commission has said.
In a statement issued on Friday, Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Mohammed Haruna, said the submission followed the extension granted by the Commission after political parties raised concerns during a meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, regarding the timeline provided in the Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 general elections.
He said, “The Commission is pleased to note that all registered parties submitted their registers as of 8th May 2026, two days before the extended deadline.”
He recalled that following a meeting with political parties, the Commission, in a statement issued on the 27th of March, 2026, adjusted the deadline for the submission of party registers from 21st April 2026 to 10th May 2026 to align with the provisions of Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the actual dates fixed by political parties for their primaries.
Mr Haruna noted that political parties were accordingly allowed to conduct their primaries within the approved period from 23rd April 2026 to 30th May 2026, while the register of party members was required to be submitted to the Commission not later than 21 days before the conduct of their respective primaries.
He added, “INEC wishes to state that all registered political parties complied with the requirement within the extended timeframe and will subject the submitted registers to the necessary verification processes in line with the law.”
The Commission restated its commitment to the conduct of free, fair, credible and inclusive elections.
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