Political activists from the Reformers for Good Governance of Nigeria (RGGN) have called on the federal government to immediately stop all local government elections organised by state governments, labeling them as illegal and fraudulent.
This follows a recent Supreme Court judgment, which restricted states from controlling local government areas (LGAs).
During a press conference over the weekend, RGGN leader and prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholder, Hon. Aminu Aliyu Tiga, urged swift action to prevent what he described as the appointment of political cronies through state-controlled local government elections.
Tiga, a grassroots politician from Kano state, argued that if the situation is not addressed, the objectives of the Supreme Court’s ruling would be undermined.
He questioned the rush by states to conduct local government elections after the Supreme Court’s decision, which, according to him, strips states of the authority to control LGAs.
According to him, “It is like a teacher setting an examination for a class he does not have access to teach or control,” he remarked, highlighting the perceived absurdity of the situation.
Tiga also noted that a bill granting an agency the power to oversee local government elections has already passed its second reading in the National Assembly.
He urged the federal government to take a firm stance and asked, “If states no longer have control over LGAs, why is this bill before the National Assembly?”
The RGGN leader also expressed dismay at the silence of some federal lawmakers who, despite being aware of already-conducted local government elections in various states, have not taken action.
He raised concerns about reports of sitting Senators and House of Representatives members losing their wards and polling units in some of these elections.
Hon. Tiga concluded by urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withhold the voter register from states planning local government elections until the National Assembly passes a law providing clear guidelines on how such elections should be conducted.
They emphasised the need for transparency and an end to what is described as “fraudulent handpicked elections.”
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