By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

Lagos—THE Lagos State Government, yesterday, explained why the state Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, is yet to hold election into the 20 Local Government Areas, LGAs and 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, in the state, putting the blame squarely at the doorsteps of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ademorin Kuye, made the remarks yesterday in Alausa, Ikeja, at the 2015 ministerial press briefing on the activities of the ministry in the last one year.

Lagos State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had berated Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration and LASIEC for refusing to conduct local council polls.

According to PDP, the composition and existence of the councils as they presently stand is illegal, unconstitutional and an aberration as they are neither recognised nor accommodated in any of the nation’s governing laws.

The party stated that by Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, only democratically elected local government councils are guaranteed.

Speaking further on the issue of council polls, Kuye explained: “I cannot say when the election will be conducted. You will agree with me that the total number of   Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs, for the state has not been released.

“We still have some outstanding left with INEC. There is no way the state electoral commission; LASIEC can conduct any election without having the appropriate voters register for the state. And this register is still in the custody of INEC, it has not been released to the state.

“The moment it is released to the Lagos State Government, then we can start planning about when the local government elections will hold.”

Kuye, however, called on the incoming members of the National Assembly on the need to give the creation of the LCDAs needed recognition without any further delay or politicking.