In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling on financial autonomy for local government councils, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has confirmed the commission’s readiness to conduct local government elections, provided it receives the necessary resources.
Speaking before the National Assembly Joint Committee on INEC and Electoral Committees in Abuja, Yakubu asserted that under his leadership, INEC has the capacity, competence, human resources, and experience required to manage elections across Nigeria’s 774 local councils.
“Our track record proves that we can do it,” Yakubu stated, citing the commission’s successful elections in the six Federal Capital Territory Area Councils, as well as frequent off-season and bye-elections. Yakubu highlighted INEC’s extensive experience: “Right now, we do national elections, state elections, and local government elections in the FCT. This demonstrates our ability to manage council polls nationwide.”
He pointed to the stable and regular local government elections in the FCT as evidence of INEC’s capability, noting that no caretaker committees have been necessary and tenure security has been maintained. The FCT’s six area councils are evenly split between the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, showcasing balanced and fair elections.
Yakubu also emphasized the need for constitutional amendments to facilitate this transition and urged engagement with the National Assembly. He proposed potential funding models and discussed whether a new federal electoral commission for local government elections is necessary.
The INEC Chairman reassured the joint panel of the commission’s preparedness for the upcoming off-cycle elections in Edo and Ondo States and outlined budget arrangements for pending by-elections in seven federal and state legislative constituencies. He confirmed that the agency’s 2024 budget is being adequately funded by the Ministry of Finance, with 58.3% of the N40 billion appropriated already released.
