The Organisation of Justice for Equity Sustenance (OJES), has called for collaboration between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other electoral bodies for transparent local government elections.
Mr Bafunsho Tunde, Chief Executive Officer of OJES, made the call on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIEC) and the proposed Local Government Independent Electoral Commission (LGIEC), must partner INEC to guarantee credible elections at the local government levels.
According to Tunde, the Federal, State and Local Government Areas are autonomous and this must reflect on them politically, socially and economically in rendering service to the voters that elected them.
“International communities and majority of voters have scored INEC above International Bench Mark for conducting credible elections in the country.
“Thhis has sustained Nigeria’s membership of the Committee of Civility-UNO.
“However, the SIEC has been conducting Local Government Council Elections manually, below INEC electronic standard.
“The LG Autonomy and the LGIEC must be utilised for the standardisation of the INEC record of credible electoral process and democracy in Nigeria,” he said.
He said that INEC must work towards the sustenance of such global attainment, while SIEC and LGIEC must work in collaboration with INEC by utilising INEC’s BVAS and manpower.
Tunde said INEC would not usurpe the state electoral roles and responsibilities but should collaborate with them in the conduct of elections.
He said this would ensure the sustenance of a credible electoral process and democracy in Nigeria.
Tunde said the attainment of financial autonomy for the local governments would automatically empower LGIEC to conduct very transparent, credible LG elections in future.
“The financial autonomy would certainly sustain credible and transparent electoral process and democracy in Nigeria soonest,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a bill seeking to establish a Local Government Independent Electoral Commission (LGIEC), recently passed first reading at the Senate.(NAN)
