UK-based Nigerian replies Fayose over comments on LG autonomy 

CITIZENS COMPASS –Former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has been told to keep his cool and stop interrupting judicial decisions, especially one that has been given final ruling by the apex judicial body in the country, the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

It will be recalled that Fayose was recently in the news following the Supreme Court’s declaration of Local Government autonomy, whereby he said nobody can become Local Government chairman without a governor’s input.

“He said, “I am not a lawyer. I am a politician and by God’s grace today, I am an elder statesman,” He added that, “While I love and do not believe that any government should take local government funds, may I say to you very clearly this evening that you cannot take the baby from the mother. There is nobody that can become council chairman without a governor. Anybody telling you otherwise is wasting his time.”

In a swift response, a writer and regular contributor to editorial opinions from the United Kingdom on Nigerian affairs, Abanikanda Olumoro, who countered the former Ekiti State Governor, said Fayose was wrong.

“Nonsense. If you rig this time, you will be consumed by it. The candidates will defend their votes. Every candidate with their supporters will apply the Kano voters protection model. No more jibiti!”

To convince the public against what he called the wrong impression being created by Fayose, whose comments appear more like challenging the rights of the apex court to declare an autonomy for Local Governments, Diasporan Abanikanda said, “We need something new. It is part of federalism. The governor does not need to conduct elections for Local Governments.”

He continued, “I think conducting elections into LGAs will now attract quality professionals to participate fully in the local government elections. Because INEC has an image problem with the manner it handled the past elections, transparency is still a continuing credibility doubt.”

On the way out, he gave his words saying that, “For a truly independent election at the local government level, neither INEC nor SIEC should be involved.

“In order to achieve a transparent and fair conduct of elections without the interference or direct involvement of the Federal and states institutions unconnected with elections, the Constitution should be amended to provide for Electoral Commissions with membership comprising of representatives of the Civil Society, Labour, Teachers Union, NUJ, Women organization and a member each from the six geopolitical zones at the Federal level and a representative each from the three (3) Senatorial Districts at the State level all of whom must be people of unquestionable integrity and nonpartisan.

“And the appointment should be on part-time basis since elections are not conducted all the time. In both cases, the NBA should provide the Chairman who must be a SAN with unquestionable integrity.

“We can even go further and abolish SIEC completely and have an Electoral Commission at the Local Government level with eight (8) membership based strictly on the earlier recommendation without the additional representation from geopolitical zones or Senatorial Districts.”

Repeatedly, he made himself clearer on the matter saying, “The state governments should not be allowed to conduct the LGAs’ elections.”

Abanikanda spoke also as a Delta State government was said to have recently concluded elections into offices of chairmen local governments and legislative councils.

According to the writer, any such action by a state governor after the Supreme Court had spoken would amount to effort in futility because, since the apex ruling is automatic amendment to the provisions of the Constitution on issues concerning Local Government, “it will be an affront to the court of highest jurisdiction for a governor to say he could make his own decision after the court has decided.”