… PDP, AP clinch 7 councillorship seats
By Chinelo Obogo
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday, swore in the newly elected local government and local development areas chairmen and councillors, while charging them to be hardworking and transparent in the management of resources put in their care.
Ambode made this remarks at the Government House, Alausa at the swearing-in ceremony of the chairmen elected into the 20 Local Government and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the state.
He told the chairmen that they were coming on board at a time the people expected much, urging them not to disappoint those who elected them.
He said: “Today, we have completed the chain of government linking the Wards, Councils and Local Government Areas to the State Government. Our government has, once again, demonstrated our total commitment to deepening democratic values and good governance at the grassroots.”
He also commended the chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) Justice Ayotunde Phillips, commissioners and the entire staff of the commission for delivering free, fair and credible elections. He also commended residents, especially those who defied the rains on Saturday to perform their civic responsibility.
Meanwhile, LASIEC has released the official result of the recently concluded Local Government elections in the state.
In a statement yesterday, Justice Philip stated: “A total of twelve 12 political parties participated in the council elections and the results of the chairmanship and elections into the 57 Local Governments/Local Council Development Areas of the state as announced by returning officers at each of the ward collation centres and Local Government/ Local Council Development Area Collation Centres showed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won all the 57 chairmanship seats and 369 councillorship seats.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won four councillorship seats, while Accord Party (AP) won three councillorship seats. The seats won by the PDP were ward C in Agege LGA, Ward A in Itire Ikate LGA, Ward D in Ikorodu LGA and Ward A in Oriade LCDA.
The AP won in Ward E, Agege LGA, Ward D, Ikosi-Isheri and Ward E, Somolu LGA.”
She also expressed her gratitude to the political parties and the electorate who she said conducted themselves lawfully in exercising their franchise.
The LASIEC boss said she was satisfied with the spirit of ‘camaraderie’ displayed by the agents of political parties at the different polling units, where she and members of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) monitored the elections, stressing: “This is the right way to go if we really desire development and growth in the various communities of the state.”
While admitting that voting started late in some polling units, the chairman attributed this to the early morning downpour, which she said was beyond the control of the commission.