According to Vanguard, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced its readiness to take on the responsibility of conducting local government elections, provided there is a constitutional amendment to that effect. This statement was made by INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, during his appearance before the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters on Thursday.
Yakubu highlighted the commission’s capacity to handle local government elections, drawing on INEC’s experience in conducting area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He emphasized that these elections have consistently been free from the problems typically associated with local government elections in the states.
“INEC can conduct local government elections if the responsibility falls on it,” Yakubu stated. “However, this would only be possible pending the amendment of the Constitution.”
Yakubu noted the difference in election outcomes between the FCT and state-level local government elections. “There has never been a time when one political party has won all the seats at the elections, as is common in the states,” he said, referring to the more competitive and diverse results seen in FCT area council elections.
This capability was discussed in the context of preparations for the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States. Yakubu reassured the joint committee that INEC is fully prepared to ensure smooth and credible elections in these states, reflecting the commission’s ongoing commitment to improving the electoral process in Nigeria.
The call for INEC to take over local government elections has been growing among stakeholders who believe that the current system, where state electoral commissions conduct these elections, often leads to a lack of transparency and fairness. The proposal to amend the Constitution to transfer this responsibility to INEC aims to standardize the electoral process across all levels of government and enhance the credibility of local elections….Seë _Morë