Election will hold in ALL 20 LGAs, 37 LCDAs in 2025, says Lagos APC chairman

Cornelius Ojelabi, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, says elections will hold in the existing 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state next year.

The 37 LCDAs were created by President Bola Tinubu in 2003 when he was governor of Lagos state.

Earlier in October, the Lagos house of assembly moved a bill to replace the 37 LCDAs in the state with newly designated administrative areas.

The bill is titled “bill for a law to provide for the local governments’ system, establishment, and administration, and to consolidate all laws on local government administration.”

The bill seeks to recognise 20 LGAs in the state as outlined in the 1999 constitution.

This move follows the July 11 supreme court ruling that granted financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 LGAs.

The ruling also stipulated that only democratically elected councils can access federal funds.

In a statement on Sunday, Ojelabi said the 2025 elections will hold in the 57 councils in the state, adding that the LCDAs are important to the overall political and socio-economic development of the state.

“We wish to inform all and sundry that the Local Government elections will hold across the state in the 20 Local Government Councils and the 37 Local Council Development Areas in the year 2025,” the statement reads.

“Our position as a progressive party is that we cannot discountenance the contributions of the LCDAs to the overall political and socio-economic development of the state.

“Our landscape is dotted by several infrastructural projects by the LCDAs which include road, drainage and market construction, school and housing projects, primary education and health facilities and various social service interventions etc.

“The various collaborative efforts with the state government on refuse disposal, drain clearing and security are also pointers to their continuous relevance.”