The Senate on Thursday in Abuja strongly condemned the recent local government elections conducted in many states for chairmen and councillors describing them as sham and rape of democracy.
It consequently vowed to do the needful about the charade for survival of democracy in Nigeria through required constitution amendments.
Condemnation of local government elections by the Senate followed a motion sponsored by the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) on local government election conducted in Benue State last Saturday which he described as a sham.
Seconding the motion, Senator Emmanuel Udende (APC, Benue North East) said although he is a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, he can’t support what is wrong, adding: “This is not a party matter; there was no election in Benue state.”
Another APC senator from the state, Titus Zam (Benue, North West), strongly supported the motion by condemning the election in its entirety.
“There were no elections across the 23 local governments in the state last Saturday. What took place as election at the government house, was a charade and heinous political crime,” he said.
In his contribution, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin described the whole local government elections as a national calamity.
He said: “It is known to everyone that the best bedrock of every democracy is the right of people to elect their leaders in a free and fair election.
“But the sad commentary is that we don’t get anything like free and fair elections in our local governments.
“Across party lines, it is known to everyone, even a child knows this. This fact is known to everyone. The so-called elections are held at local government councils. People don’t go out to vote any longer. Results are announced, and you will not see anybody on the street on election day. Nobody goes out to the polling area because the results are already written, sometimes a week before the election.
“So, we all know, Mr. President, that is a national and democratic calamity. I don’t know what those people who fought to bring about democracy in this country are feeling now. I know they are sad.
“So, it’s incumbent upon us to correct what is going on in the name of local government elections.
“We need to stand up. We said clearly yesterday (Wednesday) that we must look at our constitution and make sure we correct those provisions that will allow an independent body to conduct the election or allow INEC to conduct the election.
“We must amend the law and everybody must come on board. Nigerians are tired of this mess. As long as we want democracy to remain in local councils, this abnormal attack on democracy must stop.”
In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly, need to reposition the local government as a third tier of government through required constitution amendment.
“We commend the Supreme Court of Nigeria for the ruling that the funds of local government should go directly to local governments.
“But then, we on our part in the National Assembly, must take the next step to ensure that the decision that has been so far given by the Supreme Court becomes alive by critically addressing the issue of local government elections being conducted across the country without credibility and sanctity of the electoral process,” he said.
