Ahead of Saturday’s local government elections in Lagos State, only two out of the 15 political parties participating in the polls signed the peace accord organized by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Youth Party (YP) were the only signatories to the agreement aimed at ensuring a peaceful and orderly election.
However, 13 other parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and African Democratic Congress (ADC), declined to sign the pact, citing various unresolved issues. These include inadequate consultation, procedural concerns, and dissatisfaction with LASIEC’s overall conduct of the electoral process.
A peace accord in electoral contexts typically serves as a commitment by political stakeholders to uphold peace, refrain from inciting violence, and follow democratic principles before, during, and after the election. Such agreements promote a fair, safe, and transparent environment, encouraging the use of legal channels for resolving disputes.
The parties that withheld their signatures also include:
Accord
Action Alliance (AA)
Action Democratic Party (ADP)
Action Peoples Party (APP)
African Action Congress (AAC)
All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
Allied Peoples Movement (APM)
Boot Party (BP)
National Rescue Movement (NRM)
New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
People’s Redemption Party (PRP)
Social Democratic Party (SDP)
Young Progressives Party (YPP)
Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)
Their collective boycott raises questions about the perceived impartiality of the electoral process and the level of confidence in LASIEC’s ability to ensure a credible election.