HURIWA Wants INEC to Conduct Local Council Poll to Safeguard Constitutionalism
Prominent pro-democracy advocates: HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has supported the extensive clamour for local council elections to become free, fair, transparent just as the Rights group said the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria granting full financial autonomy to the local councils in the country will remain a mirage unless legal frameworks by way of urgent constitutional amendment is effected to permit the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct local council elections in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
HURIWA said that the amendment should specify that in the conduct of the local council elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria should be made to follow similar patterns and methodologies that are adopted in the United Kingdom by the Electoral Commission of Great Britain with local electoral services teams embedded within the larger framework of the Independent National Electoral Commission established and made to function optimally.
HURIWA said that the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria has enviable and illustrious records of conducting some of the best, freest and most peaceful elections for the 6 Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory for a prolonged period of time which puts the Electoral umpire in good and indeed pole position to conduct the local council elections in the remaining 36 states of the federation just as the Rights group stated that the state Electoral Commissions are in no way Independent given that these bodies are tied irrevocably to the political umbilical chord of the state governors.
HURIWA said the law should make it mandatory for council elections to be observed by non-governmental groups and respected civil society stakeholders drawn from across the federation.
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In a media statement advocating the origination of an executive Bill to the effect that state electoral Commissions be legally abrogated and for the central Independent National Electoral Commission to be legally empowered to conduct council elections all over Nigeria, HURIWA through its National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko said the idea is like the strongest army that can’t be defeated just as it emphasized that the time to fully democratise the local councils in the Country is now to enable the three tiers of government to function optimally and serve the public good of the citizenry.
HURIWA described the recent verdict of the nation’s apex court guaranteeing financial autonomy for local councils as revolutionary, also said the gains of that transformational judgment of the Supreme Court can only be actualized if credible local elections are permitted legally.
HURIWA said it fully endorsed the call by the 2023 gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party in Enugu State Barrister Chijioke Edeoga who had made similar call just as the Rights group embraced the advocacy of the Labour Party chieftain by affirming thus:
“To this end, an Executive Bill to excise Section 197 1(b) of the Constitution which created the state Independence Electoral Commissions should be initiated by the office of the Attorney General pf the Federation.
Section 153 (1) which created the INEC should also be amended to fully vest the national elections management body with the powers to conduct elections to local government councils.
“Efforts should be made to isolate the sections relating to local government elections from the basket of other amendments that have been proposed to the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly and give it immediate attention to attain quick passage and Presidential assent.
Speed is of the essence given that at least 22 of the 36 states currently run the local government areas in their respective states under undemocratic caretaker arrangements.
This means that if the amendment is fast-tracked and approved by the President, elections in the local councils can be arranged to fall into a single calendar.”
HURIWA believes that credible elections in the local councils will restore stability, security and jobs to millions of youths in the 36 states of the federation.
Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko,
National Coordinator,
HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA). July 17th 2024.
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