On The Need For Peaceful Co-existence And Tolerance Parties Should Train And Orientate Their Members -

The Lagos State government yesterday urged the State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to be fair to all political parties in the state.
Dr Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef, Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture made the call at a Political Stakeholders Forum organised by LASIEC in Lagos.
The theme of the forum was entitled: ‘Political Party and Democracy as Panacea to Good Governance and Growth’.
Abdul-Lateef said that political parties were important to the nation’s democracy as they were the engine rooms through which electorates were mobilised and leaders produced.
“The state is currently working hard to ensure that democratically elected officers man our council areas to facilitate rapid development at the grassroots.
“We understand the fact that a democratically elected council chairman will also assist the state government in bringing about participatory government.
“LASIEC should try and live up to its mandate to be independent and to be fair to all parties and to ensure that a credible Local Government election is held,” he said.
Abdul-Lateef urged political parties to train and orientate their members on the need for peaceful co-existence and tolerance– to strengthen the nation’s democracy.
He said one of the functions of political parties is to monitor elected officers so that they don’t derail and later constitute nuisance.
He also urged political parties to form strong oppositions to the government by monitoring and constructively criticising policies and keeping the government on its toes.
In his address, the Chairman of LASIEC, Justice Afolabi Adeyinka said that the commission would ensure equal rights and be fair to all parties.
Adeyinka noted that the meeting was part of the commission’s continuous civic education programmes, and that it was committed to improving electoral processes at the local level.
“I would like to assure you that the commission will continue to operate as an unbiased electoral umpire, and to emphasise that we are irrevocably committed to the mission with a view to removing some of the impediments that could militate against the attainment of this objective,” he said.
Adeyinka said that the last election conducted by the commission could have fared better if certain things had been done.
“It was discovered that the ad-hoc staff engaged by the commission for the last election required more training than they were given and we have resolved that ad-hoc staff will be adequately trained for subsequent elections,” he said.
Adeyinka, however, decried voters apathy occasioned by poor governance, and noted that it had made people lose faith in the electoral process.
According to him, the development has made it difficult for electoral umpires to persuade the people to exercise their civic rights as citizens, either to vote or be voted for, in any election.