The Senate, on Thursday, condemned the outcome of Local Government elections conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) in the 36 states of the federation as a rape of democracy.
The apex legislative Assembly also urged the Federal Government to deny allocations to Local Governments Council’s where selections were done, such as appointment of caretaker Committees.
The Senate made the condemnation while reacting to a motion on “The Sham Local Government Elections of Saturday, 5th October, 2024: Abuse of the Constitution and Need for Intervention by the Senate”.
The motion was sponsored by Senator Abba Moro (Benue South) and co-sponsored by Senators Titus Zam Tartenger (Benue North West), Emmanuel Udende Memga (Benue North East) and Tony Nwoye (Anambra North).
Seconding the motion, Senator Udende said that although he is a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC), he could not support what is wrong, adding that “This is not a party matter; there was no election in Benue State”
Senator Titus Zam who strongly supported and identified with the motion, said that all the three Senators from Benue across party lines sponsored the motion as representatives of the people, who have cried to them to condemn the charade and heinous political crime committed.
Senator Moro, in his lead debate, said that the said Local Government Council Elections of October, 2024 in Benue State and in some parts of Nigeria, were marred by rampant manipulation, thwarting the goal of establishing truly representative local governments in Nigeria.
According to him, in most places, elections took place in the private homes of the chieftains of the ruling party, making the entire process a mere coronation of candidates of the ruling party and not a proper election contemplated under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“The 5th of October, 2024, Local Government Council Elections were scheduled to hold in Benue State and in other parts of Nigeria, and while the electorates excitedly trooped out in their numbers to exercise their franchise to elect leaders who will represent their will at the Local Government Councils, they waited for hours in vain as neither election materials nor electoral officers showed up in many of the polling stations and where a semblance of elections took place, winners were denied certificates of returns,” he said.
When the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio asked the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin his impression of local government elections across the country, he said: “It is a national calamity”, adding that everybody was surprised that as APC, you were able to your LG.
“We all know it’s always 100%, but you managed to win in PDP state. We should allow an independent body to conduct LG election or allow NIEC to handle responsibilities. We cannot continue like this”.
In his remarks, Akpabio said “The world needs to know that it is not related to Benue alone, but across party line. We at the National Assembly must take a step to ensure that the judgement by the Supreme Court comes alive. We should change the situation for the better.
“We must have a national dialogue with President, governors, past governors, etc. The public is waiting to see what the 10th Senate will do to make local government election free and fair.
At the end of the Senate, the Senate resolved to condemn the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission’s blatant disregard for democratic principles in the local government elections of Saturday, 5th October, 2024.
The Senate also urged the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct elections in the areas where elections did not hold and allow the people to choose the representatives of their choice.
It further urged the Federal Government to deny allocations to Local Governments Council’s where selections were done, such as appointment of caretaker Committees.
