Editor
Concerned by alleged irregularities by State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) during council elections, the Nigerian Senate has called upon the federal government to impose sanctions on any state of the federation where council chairmen were appointed rather than elected.
Specifically, the upper legislative chamber on Thursday recommended that allocations be withheld from local governments where the chairmen were handpicked by the state governor.
This resolution follows a motion put forward by the Senate Minority leader, Sen. Abba Moro.
Entitled “The fraudulent local government elections of Saturday, 5th October, 2024; violation of the constitution and necessity for Senate intervention”, the motion denounced the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission’s disregard for democratic principles in the council poll conducted on 5th October, 2024.
The motion was co-sponsored by three other senators.
The Senate minority alleged that in many instances, elections were conducted in the private residences of the ruling party’s leaders, transforming the entire process into a mere endorsement of the ruling party’s candidates rather than a legitimate election as envisaged by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Furthermore, lawmakers also demanded that the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission hold elections in locations where they were not conducted, allowing the people to select their preferred representatives.
Meanwhile, senators proposed a meeting between principal officers of the National Assembly and President Bola Tinubu to discuss the aforementioned motion.
In a statement to the press, Senator Moro stated that the Senate has decided to introduce complementary legislation to safeguard the independence of the State Independent Electoral Commissions. Currently, all state electoral commissions are subject to the whims and desires of the governors.
“The establishment of independent electoral commissions for the states under section 197 is guaranteed. However, we can enact legislation to ensure the security of their appointments and other necessary measures.
” Our aim is to shield them from the governors’ influence, as they often view them as sources of revenue. When funds are allocated to local governments, they are redirected to the states where they are often misused for purposes other than intended, serving as discretionary funds for the governors.
“Therefore, the National Assembly has taken a decisive step today, and we will proceed accordingly.”
