The Inter-Party Advisory Council Of Nigeria (IPAC) on Wednesday called for the scrapping of state electoral commissions in the country accusing them of being undemocratic and controlled by state governors.
President of the council, Peter Ameh during a press briefing blamed poor economic development at the grassroots level on the poor funding of local governments.
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“The current system encourages massive rigging because the SEC are under the whims and caprices of the state government and the political party in power in each of the states across Nigeria.
“As we have seen over the years, the political party that controls such state will stop at nothing to tailor election results in their favour.
“The opposition party in the state is always left with nothing,” he said.
Ameh added that if local authorities have autonomy it will be easy to hold them accountable.
“What is going on presently in Local governments across Nigeria is a mockery of our democracy,” he lamented.
The council also asked for a national electoral reform conference to review Nigeria’s electoral process adding that they will support the National Assembly on any moves aimed at granting financial autonomy to local governments in the country.
