Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has expressed strong opposition to a bill seeking to establish a Local Government Independent Electoral Commission.
Gatekeepers News reports that the bill, sponsored by Senator Sani Musa, was introduced despite a recent Supreme Court ruling ordering direct allocation of funds to local government councils.
IPAC Secretary, Chinyere Ogekalu, described the move as “unacceptable and unnecessary”, stating that it would “lead to duplication of functions and waste of public funds”.
Ogekalu argued that creating another commission would not address the challenges faced in conducting local government elections, but instead, would lead to unnecessary duplication of efforts and resources.
“The proposed commission will still rely on INEC’s voter register, IREV, BVAS, ballot boxes, and other resources to conduct a successful election,” Ogekalu said.
“The senate should focus on building the capacity of INEC to conduct free, fair, and transparent elections at the local level, especially at a time when the government is grappling with limited resources to cater to the welfare of citizens.”
IPAC urged the senate to reconsider the proposed bill and prioritise strengthening INEC to deliver credible elections at all levels.
