LG autonomy: Governors must be on INEC board, says Lawan

Former Senate President, Ahmed Lawan has said that state governors must be on the board of the Independent National Electoral Commission for the Local Government (LG) autonomy to work well in Nigeria.

Lawan in a video from the National Assembly (NASS) TV said this during the plenary session of the senate on Thursday.

“If you want the state independent electoral commission to be removed from the constitution so that only INEC conducts elections for all local governments, states, and the federation, then you must have the governors on board,” he said.

“That is the reality, let’s not deceive ourselves that we can just pass the law and then the state assembly will comply, they will not.”

Lawan said the lawmakers have so much power and that they will only listen to their state governors.

He made this comment amid the senate on Wednesday resolving to effect appropriate amendments to the constitution to ensure full autonomy for local governments.

The senate also urged all states and local governments to comply with the Supreme Court’s judgement on LG financial autonomy.

The resolutions were sequel to the amendment and adoption of a motion sponsored earlier by Senator Tony Nwoye (Anambra State).

Following the confusion generated by the debate on Nwoye’s motion, the senate went into an emergency closed-door session.

Upon its return from the closed-door session, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, disclosed that it was amicably resolved to insist that all states should take immediate steps to ensure full compliance with the judgement of the Supreme Court.

Nwoye (LP Anambra North), had at the commencement of plenary, risen through orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Rules, to move a motion on the alleged move by some state governments to circumvent the implementation of the judgement through counter laws from their respective House of Assembly.

Nwoye specifically alleged that some State Governors are already using their House of Assembly to enact laws that would mandate respective LG councils in their states to remit monies into the state and local government joint account ruled against by the Supreme Court.