LAGOS – Hon. Dennis Adikwuru, a prominent People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member in Imo State, has advocated for the transfer of local government election responsibilities to a truly independent Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Adikwuru emphasized the importance of INEC’s independence, which should be constitutionally ensured and supported by the populace. He and other analysts believe that INEC’s autonomy would be best maintained without its current chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.
While addressing stakeholders about the upcoming Edo and Ondo gubernatorial elections, Yakubu stated that INEC is capable of handling local government elections alongside its current duties. Currently, INEC is responsible for federal and state elections, while State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) manage local government elections.
Adikwuru stressed the constitutional recognition of local governments as the third tier of government and called for INEC to be empowered to conduct these elections to prevent the federal and state governments from stifling local administration and rural development.
He criticized INEC’s current performance, citing corruption and a lack of integrity, and called for a complete overhaul of the organization to ensure fair and transparent elections. Adikwuru believes that both government reforms and public pressure are necessary to achieve this goal.
Bishop Herbert Ekechukwu, an economist, supported the idea, noting INEC’s capacity to manage voter registration and electoral conflicts across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas. He argued that many states lack the financial and logistical resources to conduct local elections efficiently, leading to widespread inefficiencies and biased results in state-managed elections.
Hon. Charles Anike, National President of the Eastern Union (EU), criticized INEC under Yakubu, calling it corrupt and incompetent, and argued that Yakubu should face legal consequences for the mismanagement of the 2023 general elections, which he claimed led to significant loss of life and ongoing suffering for Nigerians.
Despite acknowledging INEC’s shortcomings, Ekechukwu and other analysts believe that a reformed INEC would be better equipped to manage local government elections than the current state electoral bodies.
