By Abubakar Yusuf
The Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC has called on the National Assembly to amend the constitution that will outlaw the State Independent Electoral Commissions SIECs from further conducting Local Government Election and give the constitutional backing to Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, to further conduct local government elections in the country.
Dantelle who rejected the Senate moves to create Local Government Electoral Commission LGEC, frowned against the move , stating that it will be counterproductive.
While addressing the media on Tuesday, the Chairman of inter party advisory council in Nigeria, Alhaji Yusuf Mamman Dantelle bare his mind in an address before the INEC chairman , Professor Mahmood Yakubu in INEC headquarters, Abuja .
He said to ensure a level playing ground, free , fair and credible local government elections in the country , the state governments must be insulated from the conducts of council elections.
While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Supreme Court for a landmark judgement on the autonomy of local governments, he asked for concerted efforts to ensure the political independent of the third tier of government is consolidated.
Dantelle asked the National Assembly to as a matter of courage ensure the passage of the electoral amendment, so as to give credibility to the grassroots administration and by extension Nigeria’s democracy, in line with the new autonomy of Councils .
He called on the National Assembly to allow a constitutional waiver that will allow INEC to conduct local government elections, so as to give it more credence nationally and internationally as against creating one, been proposed by the Senate.
Dantelle maintained that creating of State Independent Electoral Commission will be another jamboree to waisting scarce public funds as it was obtainable in the previous one.
He said the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC during an interactive session with the House of Representatives last week assured the green chamber of the ability and capacity of the commission to conduct a credible local government elections, just like he has been doing for FCT area Councils.
Alhaji Yusuf Mamman Dantelle assured the good people of Edo and Ondo as well as Nigerians that the body will not compromise free , fair and credible elections, stating that credible elections will reduce litigations and usher in good governance.
He said on the part of IPAC, voters education towards the forthcoming elections in the two states will be prioritised , so as to allow voters in the states exercise their franchise.
