The Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has strongly condemned the proposed bill by the Senate to create the Local Government Independent Electoral Commission.
The bill was sponsored by Senator Sani Musa and IPAC says the move is unacceptable and unnecessary, adding that it will lead to duplication of functions and waste of public funds.
“Creating another commission will not address the challenges faced in conducting local government elections,” the council said in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chinyere Ogekalu.
“Instead, it will lead to unnecessary duplication of efforts and resources. The proposed commission will still rely on INEC’s voter register, IREV, BVAS, ballot boxes, and other resources to conduct a successful election.
“Rather than creating another commission, we should focus on building the capacity of INEC to conduct free, fair, and transparent elections at the local level. This is especially crucial at a time when the government is grappling with limited resources to cater to the welfare of citizens.
“We urge the Senate to reconsider this proposed bill and prioritize the strengthening of INEC to deliver credible elections at all levels.”
