INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu has expressed readiness for conducting local government elections, stating that with amendments to electoral laws, INEC could handle elections across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas. This was emphasized during his appearance before a Joint National Assembly Committee on Electoral Matters.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has said that the Commission has the capacity to conduct Local government elections if given the power, adding that such will be better for democracy.
Yakubu stated this when he appeared before a Joint National Assembly Committee on Electoral Matters to present the Ondo and Edo off-cycle elections budget on Thursday.
Mahmood boasted that the commission, which currently conducts hitch-free elections in the 62 wards in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area councils in addition to national and state government positions, can conveniently conduct the same across the 774 local government areas with the amendments of certain provisions of the electoral laws.
He, however, said this can only happen if the constitution is amended to take the responsibility from state electoral commissions.
Currently, Local government elections are conducted by state Independent Electoral Commissions.
Recall that the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to local governments (LGs) in Nigeria.
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