The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is presently awaiting the clearance of the national headquarters of the party to determine whether or not to participate in the forthcoming local government elections in the state scheduled for October.
The party in the state had boycotted two previous council polls in the state owing to the decision of the state government through the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to conduct elections into the 20 constitutionally recognised councils and 37 newly created local council development areas (LCDAs).
The leadership of the party had cited what its called the illegal status of the new council as its reasons for not participating in the last two polls.
However, the decision not to allow the party’s members to take part in previous polls left in its wake mixed feelings as those who had initially signaled their intention to contest one office or the other were left in the cold when instruction came that the PDP would boycott the polls.
State chairman of the party, Hon. Setonji Koshoedo, after a recent stakeholders’ parley with the leadership of LASIEC, had hinted that the party might ask its members to contest various offices in the different councils and the LCDAs.
In a chat with LEADERSHIP shortly after the meeting, the former member of the House of Representatives hinted that his party would attach a condition for participatio.
He said: “From the look of things, we might take part in the local government election for the sake of our members.”
Findings by our correspondent indicated that the state executive committee of the party might have sought clearance from the national headquarters on the desirability or otherwise of taking part in the polls.
Confirming the story, a source within the party who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent in a telephone chat that “the party is currently awaiting a response to a memo sent to the national office on whether to participate in the election or not.”
According to the source, the response is still being awaited but the decision to take recourse to the national headquarters was taken to ascertain the true position of the party on the issue.
?