House Of Reps Proposes INEC Takeover Of Local Government Elections

House Of Reps Proposes INEC Takeover Of Local Government Elections

The House of Representatives has taken a crucial step toward centralizing the management of local government elections in Nigeria by introducing a bill to transfer authority from State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The proposed legislation successfully passed its first reading last Thursday…..CONTINUE READING 

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 bill is led by Ikenga Ugochinyere, representing the Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in Imo State, with support from 24 co-sponsors. This initiative aims to amend Section 98 (1) of the Electoral Act, which would enable INEC to oversee local government elections.

Currently, Section 98 (1), Part VI (Procedure for Election to Area Council) of the Electoral Act stipulates that “the conduct of elections into the offices of Chairman, Vice Chairman, and a member of an Area Council and the recall of a member of an Area Council shall be under the direction and supervision of the commission (INEC) in accordance with the provisions of this Act.” The proposed amendment would revise this to state that such elections “shall be conducted solely by the commission in accordance with the provisions of this Act.”

The explanatory memorandum for the bill highlights its intention to empower INEC to manage local government elections across all Local Government Areas in Nigeria.

Various groups and influential Nigerians, including federal lawmakers, have voiced strong support for INEC’s assumption of responsibility for council elections, citing concerns about the influence and control exerted by state governors over local governments. INEC has consistently expressed its readiness to conduct local government elections, contingent upon amendments to the existing electoral laws.

During a joint committee meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives on Electoral Matters in July 2024, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, affirmed, “The same Constitution that created INEC also created the State’s Electoral Commissions. Thus, it is the prerogative of the National Assembly to amend the law to transfer that responsibility to INEC.”

Yakubu added, “If the responsibility for conducting local government elections is transferred to INEC, can INEC manage it? The answer is yes! By definition, INEC is the Independent National Electoral Commission, and while we currently oversee national and state elections, we also manage gubernatorial elections, state assembly elections, and local government elections in the Federal Capital Territory.”

He emphasized that INEC is prepared to take on local government elections once the necessary legal amendments are made.

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