The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has urged Gov. Willie Obiano, to commence processes towards conduct of free, fair and credible local government election in Anambra.
CLO Chairman in Anambra, Mr Vincent Ezekwueme, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Enugu.
Ezekwueme said that democratically elected officials at the grassroots would bring governance nearer to the people.
He also urged the governor to reconstitute the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, to enable the commission commence the process of conducting the council election.
“The call for council election in Anambra is in tandem with the Constitution, Electoral Act and landmark Supreme Court judgment that asserted that local governments must be governed by elected officials.
“It is incredible but existential reality that Anambra is the only state in the federation that has conducted local government election once since May 29,1999; former governor Peter Obi conducted election in Jan. 11, 2014.
“Significantly, in more than 21 years of our democratic experience, Anambra has conducted local government election once.
“CLO since 2016, when the tenure of the elected local government officials elapsed; have been in the vanguard for agitation for conduct of local government election in the state in line with our constitution, that election must be periodically conducted at the local government level.
“Worthy of note is that transition committee or caretaker committee is alien to Nigerian Constitution,’’ he said.
Ezekwueme called on the Anambra House of Assembly to leave no stone unturned to protect, safeguard and defend local government system.
“It is of great relevance to note that enthronement of democracy at the grassroots will certainly bring governance nearer to the people, reduce unemployment, encourage political participation, adequate harnessing of natural resources and proper utilisation of comparative advantages at local level,’’ he added.
