Anambra State is on edge as the Nigerian Senate pushes to establish a federal agency to conduct local government elections, usurping the powers of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).
In a surprise move, the Senate has passed the first reading of the “Local Government Independent Electoral Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2024”, sponsored by Senator Sani Musa, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.
Sources close to the state government reveal that the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo may rush to conduct local government polls to beat the new law, which could see the federal agency take control of the electoral process.
This development comes on the heels of the Supreme Court’s granting of financial autonomy to local councils, sparking fears of a power struggle between the state and federal governments.
Anambra has not held independent local government polls since 1998, with the current system operating under caretaker arrangements.
Details later
