INEC to take over local government elections as NASS approves LG Autonomy today

THE National Assembly has granted full financial and administrative autonomy to all the 774 local governments across Nigeria as its amended section 124 of the nation’s constitution.

The section stated a consequential provision for the making of the local councils, a full third tier government without undue interference from the state governments.

The ammendment which was one of the 22 others approved by the House of Representatives last week has been ratified by the Senate today.

The two chambers had through a conference committee jointly harmonised versions of the ammendments into the constitution carried out by each of them last month.

In a related development, the National Assembly had ratified all the 23 clauses and sections that had been ammended by both chambers, while the newly ammended document which would be sent to States Houses of Assembly for approval, also endorsed the creation of the Office of Auditor – General of the Local Government as well as the State Local Government Service Commission.

Equally, the section deleted the State Independent Electoral Commission from the constitution thereby conferring the powers to conduct council elections on the Independent National Electoral Commission.

It retained the immunity clause in the constitution for the President and Governors by adopting the Senate version of the ammendments on the issue and rejected the House of Representatives version which removed the immunity clause.

Conclusively, the National Assembly further amended sections 65 and 106 of the 1999 constitution which made provisions for Independent candidacy in future elections in Nigeria.