Lagos ACN’s Double Standards As New Draft Bill Proposes Tenure Elongation For LGA Chairmen And Councilors

A document believed to contain a secret plan to extend the tenure of local government councilors and chairmen in Lagos state.  The document is a draft bill put together by members of the Local Government Areas (LGAs) and waiting to be passed into law.

A recent scrutiny of the draft bill suggests that members of the LGA in Lagos State are collectively plotting to prolong their tenure of office. A subtle clause in the bill suggests that members can stay on in their positions and serve a fresh term with effect from whenever the law is passed.

The contentious clause, believed to have been unanimously smuggled in by the members with the collaboration of the governor reads: “Not withstanding the provisions of Sections 12(1) and 27(3), Councilors and Chairmen of Local Government and Local Council Development Areas that were sworn in prior to the commencement of this Law may hold office for the term prescribed by this Law”.

This translates as an automatic extension of the tenures of the over 300 councilors and their chairmen and reeks of a dubious and concerted effort to tweak the law to enable them stay in power longer.

Nigeria’s federal system of governance makes room for the Local Government Areas. These LGAs are administered by Local Government Councils consisting of a chairman who is the Chief Executive and other elected Councilors. The existing legislation stipulates that these members have a 3-year term of office but the new bill with the clause would see members starting a fresh 3 year term from the date the bill is passed.

Interestingly, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola who is supposed to superintend over the election process seems to show no interest whatsoever in fulfilling his legitimate obligation and rather seems to endorse the promulgation of the suspicious bill.

Perhaps even more befuddling is the fact that Fashola’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which controls Lagos State seems to be trying hard to push this bill despite strongly opposing similar moves by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to extend the presidential tenure from 4 years to 7 years.

It will be recalled that the government of Goodluck Jonathan drew a bill in 2011 proposing that the presidential and gubernatorial tenure be revised citing the rising cases of violence and tension across the country during elections as the reason. The ACN however rallied together to stiffly oppose this proposal.