The Chairman, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, Hon. Justice Ayotunde Phillips, has appealed to security agencies in the State to collaborate with the Commission in ensuring violence-free elections before, during and after the July 22, 2017 elections into the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the State.
The Chairman made the appeal during a recent visit by LASIEC delegation to the Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr. Fatai Owoseni and his team, promising that the Commission would engage in regular discussions with security agencies on how to ensure peace and security during the electoral process at the Local Government level of the State.
Hon. Justice Phillips revealed that the Commission had entered into a partnership with the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) on the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards ( PVCs ) to enable every registered voter to collect his/her PVC before the elections so that more people could actively participate in the elections.
She added that the Commission had embarked on sensitization of the public through the mass media on the on-going distribution of PVCs in the 245 Registration Area Centres of the State and called on all eligible voters to take advantage of the opportunity to collect their PVCs and show more interest and commitment towards the electoral process, particularly at the local government level of the State.
The Chairman also pledged that the Commission would provide a level playing ground for all political parties and their candidates, stressing, however, that politicians must have confidence in the ability of the Commission to conduct free, fair and credible elections into the 57 LGAs/LCDAs of the State.
Responding, the Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, assured the Commission of the support of the police towards ensuring hitch-free elections, noting that this is part of the statutory functions of the police that must be undertaken.
Mr. Owoseni disclosed that the meeting held with Chairmen and Secretaries of political parties in the State was part of the efforts of the police to ensure violence-free elections.
The LASIEC delegation also paid a similar visit to other security outfits in the State including the Military and Department of State Security.
