AN ASSESSMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL FRAMEWORKS UNDERPINNING LAGOS STATE INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION’S (LASIEC) ELECTION MANAGEMENT AND ETHNIC COHESION IN LAGOS STATE

Abstract

Political inclusiveness is critical for social stability in multi-ethnic democracies, where electoral management bodies serve as pivotal institutions for fostering trust among diverse communities. In Lagos State, the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) is constitutionally mandated to conduct local government elections. Despite this formal framework, questions persist about whether LASIEC’s institutional, administrative, and operational practices effectively promote interethnic harmony in an environment historically marked by political contestation and ethnic plurality. This paper examined LASIEC’s influence on ethnic cohesion through a three-dimensional analysis of its legal-institutional framework, administrative capacity, and operational conduct. An expo facto design was adopted to collect historical data. The paper is also grounded in the New Institutionalism theory. The qualitative data was obtained from key informant interviews conducted among sample of 20 respondents and it was thematically analyzed to provide perspectives and explanations for identified patterns in how LASIEC’s electoral management impacts ethnic cohesion in Lagos State. It was observed that some residents were dissatisfied with LASIEC on performance indicators during the local government elections of July 2025; while some perceptions favoured proper conduct pf the election; negative experiences in certain communities undermine overall approval of LASIEC. The result is that LASIEC’s effectiveness depends on the alignment of formal rules, administrative capacity, and operational inclusivity which is currently in contention. It was recommended that a policy shift in electoral management such that design and implementation could be inclusive, transparent, and ethnic communities-driven is needed to achieve ethnic cohesion and social progress in a cosmopolitan state like Lagos.