PRESS STATEMENT
We of the Lagos State
Chapter of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) welcome the recent court judgment
granted by the Lagos State High Court ordering the Lagos State Independent
Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to conduct local government elections in Lagos
State without delay. The case was instituted by the National Conscience Party
(NCP). We believe that the court order is a judicial victory in all respects
for the mass of the working people in Lagos State who have been denied the
opportunity of democratically electing their desired candidates into the local
governments in Lagos State. We salute the leadership of the NCP in Lagos State
for their steadfastness in prosecuting this struggle unto victory.
We hold that the
situation also demands that the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) speedily grants the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) its Certificate of
Registration after it has met all prescribed requirements under the law for the
registration of a political party. This is because we are willing to join the
electoral fray and contest the local government elections as ordered by the
Court in Lagos State. Already on account of INEC’s refusal to register our
party (something that is now being challenged at the Federal High Court Abuja
Division), the SPN was denied the opportunity of taking part in the 2015
general elections. We believe that further denial of participation in
forthcoming elections would amount to a grave injustice.
Many state governors
have turned the local governments to their “handbags” as they appoint unelected
Caretaker Committees and administrators to manage the affairs of these local
governments. It is through this means that they purloin federal allocations
sent to state government accounts for the running of local governments into their
private pockets. This undemocratic manner, with which the leadership of the
local governments is chosen, together with anti-poor policies including
exploitation of masses under the guise of taxes, has rendered the local
governments completely useless.
Unlike pro-rich
political parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressive
Congress (APC) who see local government as conduit pipe for corruption, the SPN
sees local government councils as veritable tool for development of our communities
and provision of decent life for the people. To this end, the SPN demands an
end to the fraudulent practice of State/local government joint account. We
stand for independent, democratically-run and accountable local government
councils that receive their allocations directly from federation account aside
other internal sources of generating revenue.
We call for the
struggle to compel LASIEC to organize local government elections to be
sustained until victory is guaranteed. We call for wider awareness and
publicity to expose this brigandage. We believe a successful struggle for
democratic elections into local governments and the victory of a party like ours
will spur the implementation of pro-working people policies of expansion of
basic infrastructure, massive job creation and democratic management of
resources by the working masses in the communities to advance the interest of
the community people.
Moshood Osunfurewa
State Secretary
