INEC Will Be Responsible For Conducting Local Government Elections - Sen Karimi

From Abdul Sule (Abuja)

Senator Sunday Karimi Representing Kogi West Senatorial District has stated that the National Assembly will pass legislation to ensure that INEC is responsible for conducting elections for local governments in Nigeria.

Senator Sunday Karimi who is the chairman of the Senate Services Committee said the National Assembly plans to shift the responsibility of managing elections at the local council level from state electoral bodies to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the near future.

He said, “I thank Mr President for mustering the courage to do the right thing. Since 1999, the third tier of government literally speaking, has been nonexistent because state governments treated them as their appendages. 

"No President, has been able to change that but, within one year, President Tinubu took due cognizance of this and has courageously took the bull by the horn by returning the local government to the owners which are the masses.

“We know some state governors will fight back but President Tinubu allowed the judiciary a free hand to operate in this particular instance irrespective of the fact that he is a first term President who may desire a comeback in 2027.

"Former President Buhari promised to push this but lacked the presence of mind and political will to pursue it, it takes a man of the people, it takes a man of courage, it takes a man that knows and feels the pulse of the masses to make this to happen.

“The National Assembly through our oversight responsibility will ensure that revenue from the federal purse goes to where it is supposed to go, we will ensure that the Supreme Court judgment is obeyed to the letter and that allocation is shared between the three tiers of government in accordance with the law.

“A lot of money that has gone to the local governments, over the years were either taken over by the state governments through the joint account or not accounted for, this is the end of all that“ the lawmaker said.