INEC should take over conduct of LG polls, says Onuigbo
The Security, Climate Change and Special Interventions Committee of the North East Development Commission, Sam Onuigbo, said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be allowed to conduct council polls rather than the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECS).
He regretted that right from the beginning of the Fourth Republic, various state governors have been relentless in obfuscating the free operation of the local councils as the third tier of government.
Onuigbo said this during an interview with journalists on Thursday in Abuja on the expectations from the Constitution review exercise by the National Assembly.
The former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Climate Change said council polls by SIECS have always been riddled with lack of transparency ending up as charades because incumbent governors ensure that their party clinches all positions of chairmen and councillors.
He stressed that the pathway to enthroning a free and accountable local council system in the country was through the abrogation of the State Independent Electoral Commissions.
He argued that the SIECS have proven to be tools in the hands of state chief executives to subjugate the third tier of the government as the appendage of the state governments.
Onuigbo, who was also the sponsor of Nigeria’s Climate Change Act, also known as Sam Onuigbo Climate Change Act 2021, said the importance of genuine and complete devolution of powers, including fiscal autonomy and transparent elections cannot be overemphasized.
He noted that previous attempts to review the constitution did not see the need to separate local councils from the overarching control of the state executives.
According to Onuigbo, who was a member of the Eighth and Ninth National Assembly, the planned constitution review should take a critical look at Sections 124 subsection 4, and 197 of the 1999 Constitution.
While condemning the practice of having Joint Accounting Committees with the state governments, the former lawmaker declared: “It is imperative to conduct a thorough review ensuring the real independence of local governments, thereby ensuring that all funds allocated to them are utilized for the betterment of the public.”
He said: “The Constitution recognises local governments as the third tier of government, yet the effectiveness of local councils has been significantly compromised by state governors who wield practical control over their administration.
“The worrisome concern stems from the observation that the party affiliated with the government often sweeps these elections, raising questions about the fairness and integrity of the process.”
