ABUJA/Nigeria: The Nigeria Association For Public Opinion Research, NAFPOR, has described the ongoing Senate Bill to establish a Local Government Independent Electoral Commission, which seeks to establish a federal agency for the conduct of Local Government Elections, as insensitive, given that INEC can create a department for local government affairs.
The group reminded the Senate’s leadership that the Nigerian Constitution established States Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), which cannot be taken over by an entity established by an Act, as the Senate is doing. We therefore advised Nigerian Senators to engage in productive debate on how to alleviate Nigerians’ hardship in order to earn their keep, rather than wasting their time on a Bill that will not stand the test of time
In a statement issued today, NAFPOR’s National Coordinator, Comrade Benjamin Atu, stated that if the Bill is not repealed immediately, the Association will lead a nationwide protest against the Nigerian Senate.
The Public Opinion Association said the Nigerian public both from the elite class and layman are all against the move of the Senate as their plans can still be achieve through INEC rather than duplication of function. They condemned the Senators for entertaining the Bill and allowing it to scaled first reading on Thursday July 18. “The sponsor of the bill, Senator Sani Musa, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, who is supposed to be prudent, is seeking vainglory to impress his constituents that he is vibrant while strangling and suffocating Nigerians.”
They maintained that Nigerians are lamenting the excessive wage allowances for Senators, rather than debating how to cut down on their salary like the House of Reps have done they’re adding more burden to the Nation. It is disgraceful that the House of Representatives has become more elderly and concerned about Nigerians’ well-being than those who were once thought to be elder statesmen.
According to the Statement, the Nigerian Senate has become an entertainment centre where bear parlour discussions are held. He thanked some House of Representatives members who spoke out against the Bill and the Senate’s actions. A member of the House of Representatives who opposes the formation of a new commission for local government elections said,
“instead of adding to the already bloated governmental structure, the National Assembly should focus on streamlining and optimizing existing processes. If we aim to reduce the cost of governance, why not empower INEC to handle local government elections through constitutional amendments? Consolidating these responsibilities under INEC would promote efficiency, consistency, and accountability in our electoral processes. Let’s prioritize practical solutions that promote effective governance and fiscal responsibility.”
Benjamin Atu, who revealed that they have raised up the issue with other lawmakers, quoted another lawmaker as saying, “This is absurd to say the least. Why do we love wasting government lean resources at little slight opportunity?. It’s high time we give INEC more power and responsibilities to conduct local government elections.
Anything outside this is complete waste of resources and time, they said.
The statement also called on other civil Society groups to breeze up and Mobiliser their groups should the Senate refused trash the insensitive Bill. They also asked members of the public to send their reactions to this email address: nafpornigeria@gmail.com
They stated that the collection of public opinion will continue to be the foundation of the organisation.
