Only INEC can guarantee transparent LG polls — Doguwa
CHIGOZIE AMADI
A member of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa, has stressed the need for the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct local government elections to promote democracy at the grassroots level.
Doguwa, who represents Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency of Kano State, made the call while addressing his constituents on Sunday in the ancient city.
In a statement made available to The PUNCH on Monday, the lawmaker noted that until the relevant laws were reviewed, the third tier of government would continue to play little or no part in grassroots development, thus worsening rural-urban migration and its attendant challenges.
He said, “INEC is the only reliable electoral umpire. We must quickly review our electoral and constitutional laws to provide for INEC to conduct local council elections; otherwise, local council elections in Nigeria will continue to be a caricature of what they should be.”
The Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had on May 23 described local government elections as mere coronation of ruling party candidates and called for significant reforms to ensure fair and credible elections.
Yakubu, who expressed his concern during a courtesy visit by the executive members of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions, accused state governors of manipulating the LG polls in favour of their respective political parties.
“Realising our shared responsibility for the conduct of democratic elections in Nigeria and the challenges faced by SIECs in carrying out their mandates, INEC encouraged the establishment of FOSIECOM in a genuine effort to foster partnership for credible elections in Nigeria.
“Unfortunately, the conduct of local government elections in virtually all the states of the federation has become mere coronation of candidates of the ruling parties. It is time to stop the coronation and conduct proper elections.
“In some states, the SIECs are either not properly constituted, have no security of tenure or their critical functions have been taken over by government officials. Some SIECs are only constituted on the eve of elections and dissolved thereafter.
“They are also severely under-resourced to the extent that some of them rely on INEC even for basic facilities such as ballot boxes and voting cubicles,” the INEC Chairman was quoted as saying.
Doguwa, who chairs the House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), also noted that only elections conducted by the electoral body would help deepen the nation’s democratic and enhance her electioneering system.
“Our electoral system, our constitutional instruments, and our participatory democratic processes can only be guaranteed under elections conducted by the INEC.
“It will further entrench the philosophical wisdom of the recent supreme court’s pronouncement and judgment on the autonomy of the third tier of government in Nigeria,” he added.
Meanwhile, the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress called on Nigerians to be patient with the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, saying in no distant time, the gains of the pain they are currently suffering will give way to economic and social prosperity.
He said, “The government made it clear from the beginning that the journey to make Nigeria great was not going to be an easy ride. We cannot deny the truth that things are difficult for us as a people.
“What is important is that very soon, this pain will birth prosperity on the economic and social fronts. The government has taken bold steps in making investments in agriculture and critical infrastructure.
“You will agree with me that the cost of foodstuffs is gradually going down. Insecurity is being addressed with our gallant troops recording significant victories against insurgents.
“The government of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is essentially about Nigeria and Nigerians. I plead with us to support it irrespective of our different political affiliations,” he pleaded.
