The National Assembly is considering amendment to the 1999 constitution to create room for the conduct of local government elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and not the state electoral bodies.
This is sequel to last Thursday judgement of the Supreme Court which granted autonomy to local governments following a suit filed by the federal government on the matter.
Reacting to the development during a press conference in Abuja, the Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, said the National Assembly would ensure that state governments complied with the judgement of the Supreme Court by amending the constitution to address the contentious issues inherent in it.
The senator said, “These include grey areas like the transfer of the responsibility of the conduct of elections to the local councils from the various state electoral bodies to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
The lawmaker noted that the battle was not yet over, saying, “Some state governors will fight back.”
“President Tinubu allowed the judiciary a free hand to operate in this particular instance, irrespective of the fact that he is a first term President who may desire a comeback in 2027,” Karimi added.
Also, the Senator representing Delta Central, Okakuro Ede Dafinone, said with the new development, the 1999 constitution should be amended to give INEC the legal right to be the sole body saddled with the responsibility of conducting local government elections.
He said, “It’s very unfortunate that people at the grassroots level are prevented from participating in our democratic process by state governors to freely elect their councillors and council chairmen.
“It’s disheartening that our governors who are products of free and fair elections can’t replicate same in the local government areas of their state. If INEC were to conduct elections the way the governors purportedly tele-guide SIEC to conduct local government polls, many of them will not be governors today.
“I think at this point in our national history and democratic journey, we have to put partisan politics aside and work collectively to amend the relevant sections of our constitution to rescue the local government system from the grips of our governors.
“I must commend the laudable effort of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for taking the lead in this respect by ensuring financial autonomy for the local governments across the country.
“We must do likewise to enthrone democratic principles at the local government level by ensuring that a credible agency, possibly INEC, is charged with the conduct of local government elections across the country in order to guarantee our people’s participation in democratic governance.”
Senator Dafinone described last Saturday’s local government election in Delta as a complete sham and a mockery of democracy.(Daily Trust)
