The National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, has said creating a separate entity to oversee local government elections, in light of the recent Supreme Court judgment, could result in redundancy, heightened bureaucracy, and potential conflicts of interest.
Isiguzo who spoke during the third quarterly consultative meeting of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the media, Isiguzo proposed that instead of creating a separate commission to oversee local government elections, the existing commission should be abolished. He suggested that INEC should take over the responsibility for conducting grassroots elections.
He described the Supreme Court judgment granting full autonomy to local government administrations as a landmark ruling and a significant advancement in strengthening democracy at the grassroots level.
According to Isiguzo, “Local governments are the tier of government closest to the people, and their autonomy is essential for effective governance and development.”
“To ensure that this autonomy is both conclusive and impactful, constitutional amendments by the National Assembly are essential”.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining regular engagement with the media, particularly in the context of elections based on its crucial role as the conduit between the electoral commission and the public.
