The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed confidence in its ability to conduct local government elections if given the responsibility. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made this statement on Thursday, July 25, during his appearance before the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, discussing preparations for the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States.
Prof. Yakubu emphasized that INEC has the capacity to manage local government elections, contingent on legal amendments permitting it to do so. He highlighted that the Commission has successfully conducted area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) without the issues typically associated with local government elections.
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Yakubu outlined several advantages of INEC handling elections, including the regularity of elections as scheduled, stability of tenure, and the absence of caretaker committees in the FCT. He also noted that no single political party has ever won all the seats in FCT elections, which is a common occurrence in state elections.
The INEC Chairman stressed that entrusting local government elections to the Commission would be beneficial for democracy, but reiterated that this would only be possible if the constitution is amended to transfer the responsibility from state electoral commissions to INEC.
