A Lagos lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, has urged the state Federal High Court to restrain the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) from conducting elections in the 37 Local Government Development Areas (LCDAs).
In the suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1108/2025, Ogungbeje is urging the court to declare that LASIEC’s conduct of elections into the 37 LCDAs on July 12, 2025, is not valid, given that these areas have not been constitutionally recognized as Local Government Areas (LGAs) by the Constitution of Nigeria.
The respondents in the case are the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, LASIEC, and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
The lawyer is praying that the court determine whether the 37 LCDAs can receive funding or allocations directly from the Federation Account despite not being recognised as part of the 774 LGAs established by the Constitution.
He also asks the court to determine whether LASIEC can conduct elections in the 37 LCDAs on July 12, 2028, without first establishing a Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) Tribunal as requirThe applicant also urges the court to decide whether the above questions are answered affirmatively, the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs elections on July 12, 2025, would be considered null and void due to inconsistencies with the Constitution.
He is also seeking the following orders, “An order nullifying and voiding any purported elections conducted and or held as planned to be performed and held by the second respondent on July 22, 2025 into the Twenty (20) Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Thirty-Seven (37) Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State being null and void and thus a nullity.
“An order of the Honourable Court voiding and sacking ALL the Chairmen and Councilors purportedly elected on account of the elections conducted and held on the 12th of July 2025 by the 2nd Respondent into the Twenty (20) Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Thirty-Seven (37) Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State.
“AN order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents jointly and severally whether by themselves, their ministries, agency departments, units, agents, servants Privies, or any officers and men howsoever called deriving authority from therm from conducting any LGA/LCDA elections in Lagos State or releasing ANY funds or statutory allocations until full compliance and obedience to the binding judicial decisions of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the pov ows of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) on the facts connected with or related to the facts of this case.”
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke has adjourned the suit’s hearing to October 28 to allow the respondents to file their counterclaims.
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