The Senate has introduced a bill aiming to establish the Local Government Independent Electoral Commission.
The bill, sponsored by Sani Musa, senator representing Niger East, was read for the first time on Thursday.
This proposed legislation comes roughly a week after the Supreme Court mandated the federal government to pay allocations directly to local government councils from the federation account. The court ruled that state governments have been misusing their powers by retaining and using funds meant for LGAs.
Additionally, the Supreme Court ordered the federal government to withhold allocations from LGAs governed by unelected officials appointed by governors.
The court’s directive stated, “No state government should be paid monies standing to the credit of the local government councils. Immediate enforcement and compliance with these orders by the state governments and successive governments is required.”
This ruling followed a suit filed by the federal government against the governors of the 36 states.
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