Lagos Civil Group Alerts Tinubu Over Alleged Third-Term Bid by LCDA Chairmen, Warns of Constitutional Breach

The Lagos Society for Good Governance (LSGG) has raised an alarm over alleged unconstitutional tenure elongation schemes by Local Council Development Area (LCDA) chairmen in Lagos, urging President Bola Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene. The non-partisan group highlighted three LCDAs where successors of deceased chairmen are seeking third terms, contravening 2018 constitutional amendments.

**Key Details:** 
1. **Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA:** Vice Chairman Famuyiwa assumed office after Chairman Arologun’s 2019 death, won re-election in 2021, and now seeks a third term. 
2. Onigbongbo LCDA: Chairman Dotun Adekanye, who succeeded the late Dayo Oke in 2020, died in 2024; his successor’s eligibility for 2025 polls is questioned. 

3. Ikosi Isheri LCDA: Vice Chairman Abolanle Bada, who took over following Abdulfatai Oyesanya’s 2020 death, now faces criticism for a third-term bid after a 2021 re-election. 

Legal Context:

The group cited the *Fourth Alteration Bill No. 16 (2018)*, which limits successors completing a predecessor’s term to one additional term. Former presidential aide Ita Enang clarified this applies even if the initial term was incomplete. Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution mandates democratically elected local councils, reinforcing term limits.

Appeals for Action: 

LSGG called on Tinubu to leverage his “moral authority” and past opposition to tenure elongation under Obasanjo. 

Urged the Attorney-General to issue advisories clarifying term limits for local governments. 
– Pressed Lagos State’s electoral body to disqualify candidates violating term rules and adopt reforms ensuring free polls. 

– “Our democracy cannot afford normalization of constitutional violations,” stated LSGG Coordinator Ademola Gafar. 
– The group referenced Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka: “The greatest threat to democracy is… incremental violations of established norms.” 

**Broader Implications:** 
LSGG warned Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, risks setting a “dangerous precedent” if unchecked. They cited transparent council elections in Ondo, Akwa-Ibom, and northwestern states as models. 

The LSGG vowed to pursue “all legal means” to uphold term limits, urging affected chairmen to “prioritize constitutional integrity over personal ambition.” The situation tests Tinubu’s democratic credentials amid rising scrutiny of Lagos governance practices. 

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