The New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, has kicked against the recent bill introduced by the Senate seeking to establish a Local Government Election Commission.
NNPP described the bill as a sinister move to destroy democracy in the country.
The bill, titled “Local Government Independent Electoral Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2024 (SB. 531),” is sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa.
The bill has since passed first reading at plenary and the proposed Commission is intended to be an autonomous body mandated to organise, oversee, and conduct elections for the offices of Local Government Chairman and Councillors across all states.
Commenting on the bill yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, said in a statement that it was inconceivable that such a bill was being proposed as a platform to conduct local government elections in the country.
He noted that the conception that the piece of legislation would make the body a federal agency had robbed it of any iota of integrity to serve the envisaged purpose.
According to him, “arrogating Federal powers to such an agency can only compound an already chaotic and crisis-prone election process,” adding that “it would never serve a good purpose but rather destroy whatever was left of the nation’s beleaguered democracy.
“It is unfortunate that we continue to see plans and actions by some politicians which are obviously tailored towards some specific negative objective.
“The bill by the Senate to create an autonomous federal agency to conduct local government elections in the country is clearly a dangerous move.
“It won’t serve the intended purpose but will totally kill democracy in the country because it is prone to abuse and will certainly be abused by the Federal authority.
“The very negative perception of INEC based on recurring criticisms of its records in the conduct of elections over time, especially the overwhelming public opinion about the conduct of the general election and the recent one, Edo State governorship election, does not support the idea of such a federal agency and should be jettisoned.
“This is why Nigerians must rise against this bill from being passed into law. The protest against this bill is urgent and must be championed by all opposition parties.
“It can only further serve as a major encumbrance to democracy because it is prone to naked abuse by Federal powers. Anything their infectious fingers touch becomes corrosive”, he stated.
The NNPP publicity secretary noted that the problem with elections in the country was institutional as the process was usually tainted with fraudulent practices and as such did not warrant new agencies but a change in attitude by operators of the system.