• As stakeholders bemoan rot in states’ electoral commissions
As the Senate mulls legislating for full autonomy of the 774 local councils in Nigeria, one of the biggest stumbling blocks will be the governors of the 36 states, whom Sunday Times gathered are set to scuttle such plans to remove LG councils totally from their grips.
While the desire for a strong autonomous local government administration in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized, this implies that many problems bothering Nigerians such as security, development projects like building of markets, culverts, health care facilities like rural clinics, etc can be resolved at that level.
Talking about security, most rural dwellers in the 774 LGAs know their terrains very well and they can even know people of questionable characters, especially strangers who could be security threats to the community.
Fortunately, the Senate at its plenary on Thursday October 10, 2024 took the bull by the horns when it resolved to do everything within its power, including tinkering with the constitution to give LGs full autonomy.
The Senate’s decision was triggered by a motion by Senator Abba Moro (Benue South) on “The Sham Local Government Elections of Saturday, 5th October, 2024: Abuse of the Constitution and Need for Intervention by the Senate”.
The motion was co-sponsored by Senators Titus Zam Tartenger (Benue North West), Emmanuel Udende Memga (Benue North East) and Tony Nwoye (Anambra North).
Seconding the motion, Senator Emmanuel Udende said although he is a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC), he can’t support what is wrong, adding that “this is not a party matter; there was no election in Benue state”.
This graphically captured the rot in State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) across the states.
It is no longer news that why most state governments tighten their grips on the LGs is because of the funds from federation account distributed monthly by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
Under the current revenue sharing formula, the federal government takes 52.68 percent, the states 26.72 percent and the LGs 20.60 percent with 13 percent derivation revenue for oil producing states.
Presently, most state governors under the guise of state/LG joint account rip the LGs dry and deny them the necessary funds to nip security challenges in their domains in the bud.
Contributing to debate on Moro’s motion Ahmed Lawan, former Senate President said party in government hardly misses any councillorship position, they win almost everything, adding that “miraculously Akpabio got one”.
“This is going to be serious/difficult issue to resolve. Asking INEC to conduct is not a final solution as there are complaint about INEC , but it will be minimal.
He said to give the assignment to INEC, we need the buy in of the state governors”
According to him, “this is about the survival of democracy” as he asked Akpabio/Speaker and the body of NASS leadership to engage the president and governors to find a way out.
“State houses of assembly and governors have role to play. Pray that 10th NASS should initiate steps to narrow down the manipulation at the state. I know it won’t be easy because nobody would want to throw away power”.
Senator Abdufatai Buhari (Oyo North) said for the Supreme Court verdict to work, the anti-graft agencies should monitor LD funds, adding that “without punitive measures, governors will always find a way round to take hold of of the LG funds. He strongly agreed with the suggestion by Lawan for a political solution with the president taking the lead.
Senator Titus Zam who strongly supported and identified with the motion said all the three senators from Benue across party lines sponsored the motion as representative is of the people who have cried to us to condemn this charade and heinous political crime committed.
When Akpabio asked of the Deputy Senate President his impression of LG elections across the country, Barau Jibrin said “it is a national calamity”, adding that everybody was surprised that as APC, you were able to your LG.
“We all know it’s always 100%, but you managed to win in PDP state. We should allow an independent body to conduct LG election or allow NIEC to handle responsibilities. We cannot continue like this”.
Akpabio in his remarks said “the world needs to know that it is not related to Benue alone, but across party line.
“We at the National Assembly must take a step to ensure that the judgement by the Supreme Court comes alive. We should change the situation for the better.
“We must have a national dialogue with president, governors, past governors, etc. The public is waiting to see what the 10th will do to make local government election free and fair.
Earlier, Senator Moro in his motion noted that “in a federation, elections are the backbone of democracy, allowing citizens to choose their representatives at various levels of government, and the right to franchise of citizens in Nigeria is sacrosanct and constitutionally guaranteed under Sections 77 to 91 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), specifically focusing on the citizens’ rights to vote and be voted for in an electoral process.
He also noted that “on the 5th of October, 2024, Local Government Council Elections were scheduled to hold in Benue State and in other parts of Nigeria, and while the electorates excitedly trooped out in their numbers to exercise their franchise to elect leaders who will represent their will at the local government councils, they waited for hours in vain as neither election materials nor electoral officers showed up in many of the polling stations and where a semblance of elections took place, winners were denied certificates of returns.
“Further notes that in most places, elections took place in the private homes of the chieftains of the ruling party making the entire process a mere coronation of candidates of the ruling party and not a proper election contemplated under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)”.
Therefore, the Senate resolved to “Condemn the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission’s blatant disregard for democrat principles in the sham local government elections of Saturday, 5th October, 2024.
“Urge the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct elections in those place where elections did not hold and allow the people to choose the representatives of their choice.
“Further urge the Federal Government to deny allocations to Local Governments Council’s where selections were done, akin to appointment of caretaker committees”.
One way the Senate and indeed the National Assembly hopes to overcome the challenge of state houses of assembly’s veto power on constitutional amendment is to grant them final autonomy and free them from the tight control of state governors.
Once that is achieved, some state assemblies will be able to pass the autonomy for local government clause in the ongoing constitutional amendment.
Nigerians will reap the benefits of LGs with full autonomy through secured environments for all-round development.
The fear by some that local government officials may end up stealing the same funds you running from the governors does not hold water as FG has not stolen state allocation because the governors might misappropriate them.
Every tier of government has been empowered by the construction to play its role and the state governments have not shown that they can better manage LG funds for them.
What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
…Plateau APC rejects LG polls results, to challenge outcome in court
In a smilar vein, the local government elections results held in Plateau State on Wednesday, October 9th 2024, has been strongly rejected by the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the State, citing irregularities that favoured the ruling People’s Democratic Party in the State.
The election results as declared by the State Independent Electoral Body favoured all PDP aspirants that contested for the position of Chairmen, an outcome that did not sit well the APC.
However, speaking at a news briefing in Jos on Saturday, the APC Party Chairman, Hon. Rufus Bature, said that despite the assurances of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), that it will conduct a free and fair election, the actions of the electoral body failed far below expectations.
Bature, who was surrounded, described the elections as the worst in the history of the state.
Expressing grave concerns he described the polls as “Ill- fated”.
According to him: “Right from the onslaught, when the Plateau State government decided to send an executive bill on the amendment of the PLASIEC law, the APC and other discerning minds, sensed some sinister motives by the PDP led government in trying to compromise the electoral process.
“when it inserted an omnibus provision which allowed elections results to be announced in the Jos, PLASIEC headquarters, as against the Polling Units, Wards and the local government Council headquarters as the case may be.
“The Plateau State House of Assembly as a result of due diligence and patriotic drive, decided to expunge the malicious provision and replaced it with the former one as contained in the 2017 PLASIEC Law.
“Since then, apprehension and suspicion reigned the air as to the sincerity of the electoral body, and of course the PDP led government’s sincerity to conduct a transparent, free and fair local government elections in the State.
“This State of affairs and fears about the insincerity of the Governor Caleb Mutfwang government to conduct a credible and transparent elections were re-enforced and justified, when juxtaposed with the PDP conduct of it’s primary elections which were marred by bloodbath, maiming and kidnap to the extend that as I am talking to you, cases of imposition of the candidates by the top echelon of the PDP are still pending in Courts.
From that point, people began to express concerns about the sincerity of the PDP led government to conduct a credible elections, when it could not organize an internal primary election.
“As if that was not enough, in the heat of the campaigns, a top government functionary including the Speaker of the State of Assembly Gabriel Dewan, arrogantly and openly boosted that the elections are just formalities and that no matter the situations, all PDP candidates would be returned.
“This we protested and raised the red flag on the sincerity of PLASIEC to conduct credible elections.
“To buttress our position, we went as far as mentioning the name of Solomon Marren Yobo, the Governor’s liaison officer in Bokkos who said no matter the votes garnered specifically by APC, PDP’s candidates will be declared winners of the elections. We still have the video clip.
“Unfortunately at all point in time when we raised those concerns with credible facts, PLASIEC Chairman Plangji Cishak and Governor Mutfwang always dismissed our submissions with sugar coated assurances, coloured with sentences punctuated with hypothetical mention of the name of GOD that the elections would be transparent, free and fair.
“What did we get at end of the day? Last Wednesday”s elections were the worst ever conducted in political trajectory of Plateau State based on some obvious reasons.
“Fast forward to the distribution of sensitive materials to local government areas and subsequently to various electoral Wards and Polling Units.
“It is a fact that election materials particularly ballot papers were grossly inadequate, as polling Units, mostly those perceived as APC strongholds were deliberately given 10% to 20% of what were required. Furthermore in those earmarked areas, results sheets were not provided at all, for reasons best known to PLASIEC.
“Despite all complaints and presentations made to the electoral officers, nothing changed.
“Added this unfortunate scenario, was the supply of malfunctioned voting machines which never worked, and in most Polling Units, the machines hardly lasted for more than two hours.
“This we know is a clever way of rigging and also disenfranchising the people”, the statement reads in parts.
