Victor EzejaThe Nigerian Senate has introduced a Bill seeking to establish a federal agency for the conduct of local government elections.
The Bill sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, (APC – Niger East), passed the first reading on Thursday, 18 July.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelTitled, “Local Government Independent Electoral Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2024,” the proposed legislation if finally passed into law, will transfer the mandate to conduct local government elections from the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), to the federal agency that would be created.
The initiation of the Bill followed last week’s judgment of the Supreme Court which granted full autonomy to local governments across the country.
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The apex court had ruled that it is unconstitutional for state governors to hold unto funds meant for local government administration and therefore ordered the federal government to pay monthly allocations meant for local councils directly into their exclusive accounts instead of the Joint State/Local government accounts currently being used.
The court said: “An order that henceforth no state government should be paid monies standing to the credit of the local government councils.”
“An order for immediate enforcement and compliance with these orders by the state governments and successive governments henceforth,” the court further held.
The court also ruled that it is illegal for state governors to run local governments with caretaker committee. “A democratically elected local government is sacrosanct and non-negotiable,” the court ruled.
The ruling, therefore, makes it mandatory for all states currently operating without elected local council officials to conduct elections in order to be eligible to receive monthly allocations from the Federation account.
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There has been a growing concern that State Independent Electoral Commissions have demonstrated lack of transparency and credibility in their conduct of LG elections in the past, hence the call for the federal government to create an independent agency to do so or transfer the responsibility to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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