The Supreme Court ruling on the financial autonomy for Local Government Councils will require an additional condition to make that tier of government functional and relevant. This is the view of All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and a former deputy governor of Benue State, Chief Stephen Lawani.
Chief Stephen Lawani aka Ochagwu of Idomaland
Lawani said in a statement welcoming the Supreme Court judgment that Nigeria labours in vain as far as autonomy of the local government tier is concerned unless and until conduct of election into local councils is taken away from State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In putting the most critical reception of the Supreme Court ruling so far, Chief Lawani says it is not because INEC has suddenly transformed into a body of angels to be the only election management body that can be trusted. Rather, it is about what he calls the defining context of local government councils in Nigeria. Identifying the context as the fear of loss of control by the party in power in every state, Lawani argues that such a party cannot allow a credible election. “Any election conducted by any SIEC under that defining context is useless if you are talking of anything free and fair”, said Lawani.
Lawani argues that, as needed as the Supreme Court ruling is, it is not sufficient in guaranteeing the autonomy of local government councils. What will guarantee autonomy of that tier is if election to all 774 local government councils is held the same day along with election to other political offices. What will work is “when we start electing all local government chairmen and councilors at the same time with members of the House of Assembly and governors”.
Anything in the form of elections into local government councils before 2027 should, in Lawani’s opinion, be put on hold. Instead of any such election, he argues for setting a date when election into all local government council will be conducted.
Chief Lawani who is also the Ochagwu of Idomaland puts 2027 as the earliest date when such a new election regime will commence, repeating his point that anything between now and then should be put on hold.
