INEC ready to conduct LG election pending constitutional amendment

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared its readiness to take over the conduct of local government elections, but emphasised that a constitutional amendment is required to transfer the responsibility from state governments to the commission.

INEC Chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood, made this known when he appeared before the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters.

“We can handle local government elections, but that would only be possible pending the amendment of the Constitution,” he stated.

Yakubu noted that INEC has been conducting area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory without the challenges associated with local government elections in states.

He added, “There has never been a time when one political party has won all the seats at the elections, as is common in the states.”