HURIWA slams Soludo, Uzodimma over failure to conduct council elections

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday, carpeted governors Charles Soludo of Anambra State and his Imo State counterpart, Hope Uzodimma, over their persistent failure to conduct council elections in their states, describing them as enemies of democracy.
[ad]
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, said both governors have perfected the act of handpicking people to oversee councils in their respective states.

The group said the actions of Soludo and Uzodimma contravene section 7 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that councils must be run by democratically elected council chairmen.

HURIWA, therefore, tasked the state House of Assembly in both states to stop the illegal act of confirming transition committee chairmen appointed by governors, and defend democracy as the legislative arm by demanding the conduct of fresh council elections to produce the people’s choices for the councils.

The rights group noted that Soludo, who took office as governor of Anambra State on March 17, 2022, inaugurated 21 Transition Committee Chairmen he appointed in August, who was subsequently confirmed by the state House of Assembly.

It stressed that the governor is walking the path of his predecessor, Governor Willie Obiano, who operated the councils with the Transition Committee and never conducted any council election for eight years as governor.
[ad]