The Senate’s proposed legislation to establish the Local Government Independent Electoral Commission has been sharply criticized by the Inter-Party Advisory Council, or IPAC.
The law was introduced by Senator Sani Musa. According to IPAC, the action is unjustified and needless, and it would result in the duplication of tasks and the waste of tax dollars.
“Creating another commission will not address the challenges faced in conducting local government elections,” the council stated in a statement that Chinyere Ogekalu, its national publicity secretary, signed.
“Instead, it will 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.
“Rather than creating another commission, we should focus on building the capacity of INEC to conduct free, fair, and transparent elections at the local level. This is especially crucial at a time when the government is grappling with limited resources to cater to the welfare of citizens.
“We urge the Senate to reconsider this proposed bill and prioritize the strengthening of INEC to deliver credible elections at all levels.”
