A coalition of political parties under the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lagos State has called on the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to scrap administrative charges imposed on candidates contesting in the upcoming local government elections slated for July 12.
The protest was led by five political parties—Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), African Action Congress (AAC), Young Progressives Party (YPP), All People’s Party (APP), and Accord Party—whose representatives staged a peaceful march to the LASIEC office on Monday, demanding the immediate suspension of the fees or face legal consequences.
According to LASIEC’s election guidelines, candidates are required to pay administrative fees of N150,000 for chairmanship aspirants, N75,000 for vice-chairmanship, and N50,000 for councillorship. However, female candidates and persons with disabilities are exempted. The payments are to be made into any Nigerian bank using a designated revenue code (33101) and agency code (77095) in favor of the Lagos State Government.
The protesting party leaders criticized the fees as unconstitutional and a barrier to political participation. Speaking on behalf of the group, Adekunle Mode-Adenipebi, Lagos State Chairman of ZLP and IPAC Organising Secretary, argued that LASIEC’s mandate is to conduct elections, not to generate revenue for the government.
“LASIEC is not a revenue-generating body. These fees are unjust and unconstitutional. Similar charges were abolished in recent local council elections in Ogun and Oyo states. We demand the immediate withdrawal of these levies,” Mode-Adenipebi stated.
He also compared LASIEC’s actions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which does not impose such fees on aspirants contesting higher offices, including the presidency and National Assembly.
According to Mode-Adenipebi, political parties may impose charges internally, but it is inappropriate for an electoral body to do so, as it risks disenfranchising aspiring candidates, especially those with limited financial resources.
Echoing this concern, Dele Oladeji, Chairman of the Accord Party in Lagos, warned that many aspirants may be forced out of the race due to financial constraints. “LASIEC is asking for what many candidates simply cannot afford. If the commission does not reverse this, we will seek redress in court by Wednesday,” he said.
Other party leaders, including Abiola Adeyemi (APP), Ayoyinka Oni (AAC), and former IPAC Chairman Olusegun Mobolaji (YPP), also condemned the charges as undemocratic and exclusionary.
The demonstration began at Birrel Avenue in Sabo-Yaba and concluded at LASIEC’s premises. Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, no LASIEC official came forward to address the concerns raised by the group.
The parties insist that if LASIEC does not reverse its decision and refund candidates who have already paid, they will proceed with legal action to defend democratic participation.
