The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to conduct an investigation into the treasury of the local governments in Lagos State.

The party, in a statement by its state Publicity Secretary, Gani Taofik, on Sunday alleged that the council chairmen were not managing the resources of the councils properly, citing cases of abandoned projects.

It also accused Governor Babatunde Fashola of allegedly directing the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission not to conduct the local government polls because of the “unpopularity of the APC in the state.”

The statement read, “LASIEC law has stipulated a minimum of 60-day notice before the date of election. Indeed, it is even another show of Fashola’s disregard for the law and his anti- democratic tendency for him to assume the role of the LASIEC chairman by unilaterally announcing poll date and constituting an illegal and undemocratic local council.

“By Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), only democratically elected local councils are guaranteed. But Governor Fashola, a lawyer governor, in conjunction with his party, has deprived Lagosians their constitutional rights, yet very quick to berate the Federal Government of postponing the general elections.”

The PDP asked Fashola and the APC to justify their claim of being true progressives by immediately conducting the council polls in the state.

It added, “We have conducted our investigations into the delay of elections into Lagos councils. Our reports showed that Governor Fashola actually frustrated LASIEC from conducting the polls. According to our source, Fashola is not confident to conduct the polls for fear that the PDP would win the election.

“We have also alerted the EFCC to beam its searchlight on the treasury of the illegal Lagos councils, who have not been delivering the gains of democracy to the people.”

Source: PUNCH