The House of Representatives has begun the legislative process to strip State Independent Electoral Commissions of their authority to conduct local government elections.
A bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act of 2022 passed its first reading last Thursday. Titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act, 2022 to Vest INEC with the Power to Conduct Local Government Council Elections and for Related Matters,” the proposal is spearheaded by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, alongside 24 other lawmakers.
The bill seeks to transfer the responsibility for overseeing local government elections from state electoral bodies to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. It calls for the deletion of Section 98 (1) of the Electoral Act and its replacement with a provision that would empower INEC to conduct these elections exclusively.
Currently, Section 98 (1) of the Electoral Act allows INEC to oversee Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory. The proposed amendment, however, would extend INEC’s mandate nationwide to conduct all local government elections across Nigeria.
Support for this shift has been growing, with many arguing that state governors often exert undue influence over local government elections. In July 2024, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, affirmed the commission’s readiness to take on the responsibility, stating that INEC was equipped to manage local elections if the relevant laws were amended.
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Yakubu said: “If the responsibility for the conduct of local government elections is transferred to INEC, can INEC cope with it? The answer is yes! INEC can cope. What are we? By definition, INEC is the Independent National Electoral Commission, but right now, we handle only national and state elections—not local government elections.
“A national electoral commission may be expected to handle only the presidential and National Assembly elections, but we also oversee gubernatorial elections, state Assembly elections, and the Area Councils elections in the Federal Capital Territory, the only part of the country where INEC currently conducts local government elections.
“Broadly speaking, if you ask us if we can handle local government elections, yes, we can. When will this happen? When you amend the law and empower the commission to do so.”
The bill has sparked discussions on enhancing transparency and fairness in local government elections, with many seeing the move as a step toward strengthening Nigeria’s democratic processes.
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