• Yakubu says INEC better equipped for LG polls
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has warned local council chairmen against stealing public funds, stressing that council chairmen do not enjoy immunity from prosecution while in office, like state governors.
The minister, who gave the warning, yesterday at the 17th anniversary lecture of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), disclosed that the Federal Government took the 36 states to court as a last resort to guarantee financial independence of local councils.
The apex court had on July 11, 2024, affirmed the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments.
Fagbemi, while speaking on the theme of the event, “Any nexus between political leadership and human rights”, said with the implementation of the judgment of the apex court expected to start immediately, local council chairmen have to choose between “dealing with the funds of the local government the way they like and risking going to jail”, adding that “the choice is theirs”.
Delivering the keynote address, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, administration, Prof. Uwaoma Kalu Uche, observed that the nexus between human rights and political leadership is essential for building just, equitable, and peaceful societies.
According to him, political leaders should work towards creating a legal framework that protects human rights, as well as mechanisms for their enforcement and accountability.
MEANWHILE, Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, yesterday, declared that with necessary resources, the electoral umpire has the capacity to conduct better local government elections in the country.
Yakubu spoke when he appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committee on the INEC and Electoral Committees.
He spoke in reaction to a poser from members of the National Assembly joint committee on the position of the Commission on the Supreme Court verdict regarding the financial autonomy for local councils.
Yakubu said he was aware of the agitations for the unbundling of INEC or creation of a new federal agency for the purpose of conducting council polls.
He, however, announced that INEC, under his leadership, had the capacity, competence, human resources and adequate experience to conduct elections across the 774 councils in Nigeria.
Mahmoud referred to the successes recorded by the commission in the six Federal Capital Territory Area Councils, including frequent off season and bye election to support his claim.
Yakubu said: “So if this responsibility for the conduct of local government elections is transferred to INEC, can INEC cope? The answer is yes, INEC can cope. What are we? By definition, INEC is the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“Right now, we do national elections, we do state elections, we do local government elections.
“A national electoral commission may be expected to implement only the presidential and National Assembly. We also do governorship elections, we do state Assembly elections, and we do the area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory.”
Still on its successes in conducting council elections, Mahmood said: “There has never been a caretaker committee for any area council in the FCT. INEC has been conducting the elections regularly.
“There is stability of tenure or security of tenure. It used to be three years, but in 2022, the National Assembly amended the Electoral Act to provide for four-year tenure for area councils in the FCT. So they enjoy security of tenure.
“No single political party has ever won elections in all the constituencies in the FCT, not one.”
