The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has commenced an extensive post-election appraisal of the 2025 Local Government and Local Council Development Area (LCDA) polls, pledging to draw actionable lessons from the exercise to strengthen democratic governance at the grassroots.
The process was formally introduced on Tuesday, the 20th of January, 2026, with the opening of a two-day strategic retreat at Dover Hotels, Ikeja, bringing together commissioners and senior electoral officials.
At the opening session, the Chairman of the Commission, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (rtd), explained that the retreat was deliberately structured to undertake a thorough evaluation of LASIEC’s conduct of the elections, identify operational weaknesses, and propose reforms where necessary.
The retreat, themed “Execution to Evaluation: Building a More Resilient Electoral Process for Lagos State,” is being held six months after the July 2025 elections, which attracted widespread public attention and heightened political interest.
Justice Okikiolu-Ighile, while addressing participants, acknowledged that the Commission received favourable feedback from both domestic and international observers. However, she cautioned that such assessments should not lead to complacency, noting that electoral credibility depends on continuous improvement.
She stressed that a strong and dependable electoral system must be dynamic, capable of learning from experience, and ready to confront its own limitations.
According to her, LASIEC must honestly assess its performance and convert lessons from the last elections into lasting institutional reforms.
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The chairman admitted that the 2025 elections were conducted amid administrative hurdles and political pressures but insisted that the Commission maintained its independence and neutrality throughout the process, ensuring that the choices of voters were protected.
Providing data on voter engagement, the Commissioner for Training, Oladele Adekanye, revealed that turnout during the 2025 polls increased significantly to 24 per cent, compared to the 10 to 11 per cent recorded in previous local government elections. He described the development as a positive sign and said deliberations at the retreat would centre on how to sustain and further improve participation levels.
On future plans, LASIEC disclosed its intention to place greater emphasis on technology-driven innovations and capacity development. Justice Okikiolu-Ighile noted that upcoming elections would take place under increasing public scrutiny and evolving security challenges.
She reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to expanding the use of technology, strengthening continuous training for personnel, improving staff welfare, and reinforcing internal control systems, all aimed at enhancing transparency, credibility, and institutional independence in the state’s electoral process.