The race for local government chairmanship positions in Lagos State has intensified following the announcement of July 12, 2025, as the date for council elections.
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) last week released the official timetable, setting the stage for what is expected to be a highly competitive contest as other political parties like the PDP, Labour Party and SDP are believed to be preparing to slug it out with the dominant party in the state, the APC.
According to LASIEC’s spokesman, Tope Stephen, elections will hold across the 20 local government areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), with political campaigns kicking off on April 18 and ending July 9.
In the last LG election held in July 2021, APC swept all chairmanship and 375 out of 376 councillorship positions. This time, however, the field is more crowded, with the scramble for APC tickets already creating tension across the 57 councils.
Report says at least 10 aspirants have emerged in most councils, with some areas like Badagry West and Bariga reporting 20 and 17 contenders respectively. In Ikeja LGA, not less than 10 aspirants, including Vice-Chairman Yomi Mayungbe, are jostling to succeed the outgoing two-term chairman.
While some councils, such as those in Epe Division, have seen fewer aspirants due to first-term incumbents, others like Onigbongbo LCDA and Ayobo-Ipaja—where vice-chairmen took over following the death of their bosses—are seeing crowded fields as new contenders join the fray.
In Agege Local Government, there is uneasy calm among party leaders over the alleged imposition of AbdulGaniyu Obasa, son of Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa as the anointed candidate for Agege.
The Lagos State government has assured of its commitment to a credible poll. The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotosho, in a recent radio interview, said LASIEC has been fully equipped to deliver a transparent exercise.
