The Lagos State House of Assembly on Sunday announced that elections will not be conducted in the 37 local council development areas in 2025.
This decision follows the Supreme Court’s judgment granting autonomy to the 774 local governments in Nigeria.
Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Okanlawon Sanni, explained that the LCDAs can only be recognized through a constitutional amendment by the National Assembly.
Instead, the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission will conduct elections into the 20 local government areas recognized by the constitution in 2025, according to Peoples Gazette.
To align with the Supreme Court judgment, the Lagos State House of Assembly is repealing the Local Government Law 2016. The new bill, Local Government Administration Bill, will ensure the 37 LCDAs are supervised by the 20 LGAs.
Under the proposed law, the governor will appoint mayors to each LCDA, subject to confirmation by the State House of Assembly. The LCDAs will perform local government duties and employ staff for development programs.
Sanni clarified that the Assembly is not scrapping the LCDAs but promoting grassroots development. He emphasized the need for National Assembly recognition due to Lagos’ population and economic importance.
The Lagos State House of Assembly’s decision aims to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court judgment while promoting effective governance at the local level.
“The Lagos State House of Assembly is repealing the Local Government Law 2016 to further support the Supreme Court judgment on the financial autonomy granted by the 20 LGAs in the state.
“If the new bill before the House(Local Government Administration Bill) is passed, the other 37 LCDAs will henceforth be under the supervision of the constitutionally recognised 20 LGAs.
“The governor of the state will appoint mayors into each LCDA subject to the confirmation by the State House of Assembly, and they will be funded by the LGA under which it falls.
“The Assembly is trying to fashion out a way where the parent LGAs and the LCDAs will work together without the latter being short-changed.
“The functions of the 37 LCDAs will include every duty of a local government in its area of delineation and any duty assigned to it by any law of the House or executive directives of the governor of the state.
“Also, the LCDAs may also employ their staff as it may consider necessary for optimal execution of its development programmes,” he said.
