Mahmood Yakubu: INEC can conduct LG elections if given the responsibility

Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says the electoral umpire can conduct LGA elections.

Yakubu spoke on Thursday before the joint senate and house of representatives committee.

He told the lawmakers that there have been three arguments regarding the supreme judgment.

He said the first argument is that the conduct of LGA elections be transferred to the INEC, while the second argument is that there should be a new federal electoral commission for local government polls.

“Thirdly, there is another argument that the state electoral commissions should be left to conduct the local government elections,” he said.

“If the responsibility of conducting local government elections is transferred to INEC, can the commission cope? The answer is yes.”

Yakubu said INEC has been conducting national, state, and area council elections in the federal capital territory (FCT).

“Our track record of conducting area council elections in the FCT shows we can conduct LG elections,” the INEC chairman said.

“There are several results of INEC conducting the area council elections that can be seen.

“It is the only part of the country where LGA elections are held regularly, as at when due; there has never been a caretaker committee for any area council.

There is stability of tenure; and no political party has ever won elections in all the constituencies in the FCT.

“In fact, the chairmanship of the area councils is split evenly between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and People Democratic Party (PDP).

“This is why many Nigerians have said if INEC is given the responsibility of conducting LGA elections, the same thing would be replicated.”

The supreme court recently held that the federal government should henceforth pay allocations directly to local government councils from the federation account.

A seven-member panel of justices ruled that state governments have continued to abuse their powers by retaining and using the funds meant for LGAs.

The apex court also ordered the federal government to withhold allocations of LGs governed by unelected officials appointed by the governor.