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| INEC Chairman |
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has berated 11 states for refusing to conduct local government elections, mandating them to immediately conduct the local polls and stop breaching the constitution by imposing caretaker committees or head of personal management in some cases.
The electoral commission also called for the operational and financial independence of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SEICs) to be constitutionally guaranteed.
There were contained in a communique after a two-day INEC/SIECs experience sharing conference on best practises in election management which held on Wednesday and Thursday in Kaduna.
There were contained in a communique after a two-day INEC/SIECs experience sharing conference on best practises in election management which held on Wednesday and Thursday in Kaduna.
INEC in the communiqué signed by Director, Voter Education and Publicity in INEC, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, indicted Abia, Bauchi, Borno, Delta, Ekiti, Imo, Kano, Katsina, Ondo, Osun and Oyo for having “disappointingly, failed to conduct local council elections”
The communiqué further stated that the LGAs in these states are either under caretaker committees or, in one case (Delta), under the Head of Personnel Management, contrary to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended);
The resolutions reached according to the communique after the communique are “to strongly urge States that have not conducted LGA elections and are under various caretaker committees to urgently do so without further delay;
“To strongly call for the operational and financial independence of SIECs to be constitutionally guaranteed; To call on State governments to create enabling conditions that can allow SIECs to operate professionally and creditably; To call on political parties to begin extensive civic and voter education campaigns to compliment the work of SIECs and INEC; and To explore more avenues of cooperation between SIECs and INEC in addressing the challenges arising from the electoral and political processes.”
While the objectives of the conference were to deepen the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SIECs and INEC, share experiences on international best practices and Share with SIECs the overall plans and preparations of INEC for the 2015 General Elections, it was observed that that the conduct of free, fair and credible elections at national as well as local government levels is indispensable to the expansion and deepening of Nigeria’s democratic experience. A leadership.ng extract.
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