Former Presidential Aspirant, Dr Ikubese Advocates Independent Candidacy, INEC Conducting LG Elections
The Former Presidential Aspirant, Dr Thomas Wilson-Ikubese has advocated independent candidacy, conduct of local government elections by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and publishing of income and expenditure of the council as key to functional local government administration.
Chatting with Newsmen at the Public Lecture and Award organized by the Sunshine Standard Magazine in Akure on Sunday 13th April, the CMD said the tripartite solutions will birth functional local government if apply by the authority.
He saluted the Guest Speaker, Dr Gbenga Abimbola, Head of Department of Achiever University, Owo who delivered a thought provoking lecture on the development of local government and its challenges.
Ikubese said what we have across the country is election by governors at the local governments saying for as long as the Chairmen and members of the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIEC) are appointed by the governors, no free and fair election can take place under such atmosphere.
” For us to have a functional local government, those running for elective positions must not run under any political party -Independent Candidacy, election should not be conducted by State Independent Electoral Commission but by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make it free and fair”.
” Also, income and expenditure of Local Government must be published and made available to EFCC, so that the elected Chairmen and Councillors would be made accountable, prevent maladministration and corruption”.
He tasked the National Assembly to ammend the relevant law governing the country’s electoral process and give the responsibility of conducting elections at local government to INEC.
” If the responsibility of the conduct of local government elections is transfer to INEC, it will give credibility to the election and trust in the process among political parties that participate it the election”.
He added that State Independent Electoral Commission has proven overtime its incapability of conducting free, fair and credible elections saying people will have confidence in INEC when compare to SIEC.
” There’s lukewarm participation in local government elections by the people and political parties aside the ruling party. They have lost confidence in SIEC because they are seen as appendage of the ruling party and governor of the state. This overbearing influence of governor is not limited to one state but all the states of the federation”.
The Founder of Yeswefit Revolutionary Movement further noted that empowering INEC would bring back the lost confidence and trust in the process at the local government elections, thereby allowing electorates to vote for candidates of their choice.
Meanwhile, he congratulated the publisher of Sunshine Standard, Mr Daisi Adetarami for the success of the program and honouring people of impeccable characters within and outside the state.
