Lagos LG polls: Parties reject N150,000 nomination fees for candidates

Political parties in Lagos State have rejected the nomination fees imposed by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) ahead of the July 12, 2025, local government elections. They also raised concerns over the state of governance in Lagos, warning that the political landscape is drifting towards a one-party system. According to the guidelines released […]

Political parties in Lagos State have rejected the nomination fees imposed by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) ahead of the July 12, 2025, local government elections.

They also raised concerns over the state of governance in Lagos, warning that the political landscape is drifting towards a one-party system.

According to the guidelines released by LASIEC, parties are to pay N150,000 for chairmanship candidates, N75,000 for vice-chairmanship candidates, and N50,000 for councillorship candidates as administrative charges. However, the commission noted that female candidates and persons with disabilities (PWDs) are exempted from these fees.

But speaking with Daily Trust on the sidelines of the Inaugural Chairmen’s Dialogue organised by News Central TV in Lagos—attended by representatives of 18 political parties—the state chairperson of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Temilola Akinade, described the fees as unacceptable.

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“The first problem we have is with LASIEC,” she said. “We all said that form should be free or the prices should be as they were in the last election. But this morning, everything just changed.

“They posted it that the Chairman will pay N150,000, the Vice will pay N75,000 while the councillor will pay N50,000. People living with disability and women will be free, but you know we’ve advised them in the past that please let this thing be free or leave it as it was before. So we need to get back to them.”

Akinade said political parties would deliberate and take a unified position on the fees.

Other opposition party leaders at the event included the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Philips Aivoji, and the Lagos chairperson of the Labour Party (LP), Pastor Dayo Ekong.

The parties voiced strong reservations about the conduct of elections in the state, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of using intimidation and manipulation to entrench one-party dominance.

LP Chairperson Ekong recounted the experience of the party in the 2023 general elections, especially after securing victory in the presidential vote in Lagos.

“During the last election, we know what we went through. In the aftermath of the election, they still went after the opposition, but we have said that we in the Labour Party cannot be silenced,” she said.

At the end of the forum, the parties called for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be empowered to conduct local government elections across the country to ensure credibility, transparency, and fairness.