Senate votes for INEC conducting local govt elections

The Senate has voted to alter the 1999 Constitution in order to strip the states of power to constitute electoral commissions to conduct local government elections.
The alteration is part of constitutional reforms by the legislature to make local governments become independent of states.
The proposal became the 33rd item of the report on the bill to amend the 1999 Constitution presented by the Deputy Senate President, Mr. Ike Ekweremadu on Tuesday.
Ekweremadu’s report originally had 32 items, including autonomy for local government areas.
Mr. Dino Melaye, APC-Kogi, said allowing states to oversee conducts of local government elections make a mess of the call for autonomy. He therefore moved that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should conduct the local elections.
“How do we speak of local government autonomy, without addressing the foundation,” Melaye argued and thereby calls for states to be stripped of the power to constitute state electoral commissions to conduct local government elections.
When put to voice vote as called by Senate President Bukola Saraki, Melaye’s motion was adopted by other Senators.