In a significant legislative development, the House of Representatives has initiated steps to transfer the responsibility of conducting local government elections from State Independent Electoral Commissions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). A bill proposing this shift passed its first reading last Thursday on the House floor.
Titled “A Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act, 2022 to vest INEC with the power to conduct Local Government Council Elections and for Related Matters,” the legislation is spearheaded by Ikenga Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, alongside 24 co-sponsors. The bill seeks to amend Section 98 (1) of the current Electoral Act to ensure that INEC holds sole authority in conducting local government elections nationwide.
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The proposed amendment aims to eliminate the current role of state electoral bodies, replacing them with INEC’s supervision, to standardize local government elections across all states.
This bill, if passed, would represent a major shift in the administration of local elections in Nigeria, centralizing power within the national electoral body. The move has sparked discussions on electoral reform and governance, with potential implications for the autonomy of local government elections across the country.
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