The House of Representatives has initiated steps to transfer the authority for conducting local government elections from the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
A bill, aimed at amending the Electoral Act of 2022 to give INEC full control over local government elections, passed its first reading last Thursday.
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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 was introduced by Ikenga Ugochinyere, representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, along with 24 co-sponsors.
The bill proposes to amend Section 98 (1) of the Electoral Act, which currently gives INEC the responsibility for overseeing elections into area councils under its supervision.
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The new amendment, if passed, would replace the current provision with one that explicitly gives INEC the exclusive mandate to organize local government elections across the country.
According to the bill’s explanatory note, the amendment aims to empower INEC to manage the elections of chairpersons, vice chairpersons, and council members for all local government areas nationwide.
This move has gained traction among lawmakers and various advocacy groups, who argue that state governors exert too much influence over local government elections through SIECs, undermining the democratic process.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has expressed the commission’s readiness to take on the additional responsibility.
In a statement before a Senate and House of Representatives joint committee in July 2024, he confirmed that INEC is capable of handling local government elections, provided the National Assembly amends the law to assign the task to the commission.
Yakubu emphasized that INEC already manages elections for both national and state offices, as well as for the Federal Capital Territory’s area councils, and could easily extend its oversight to all local government elections if given the mandate.
However, for this to happen, an official amendment to the relevant laws is necessary.
Advocates of the bill see this shift as a step toward increasing transparency and accountability in local elections, reducing the potential for political interference at the state level.
