Former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), George Moghalu, has criticized state electoral commissions for failing to conduct fair and impartial elections, which undermines local government autonomy in Nigeria.
Speaking on Channels Television’s, Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, Moghalu emphasized the need to reform the electoral process that selects local government chairmen, despite a Supreme Court ruling that granted autonomy to local governments. According to him, the current system, dominated by State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), hinders true independence for local governments.
Moghalu, who recently resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), said, “Governance must shift away from the center for Nigerians to experience the benefits of democracy, especially at the grassroots.” He stressed that while states and local governments play crucial roles, SIECs have failed to operate independently.
“Show me a state where SIEC conducted an election, and the governor’s party didn’t win all the local governments, including councillor seats. The purpose is defeated,” he said.
Moghalu argued that effective governance at local and state levels would reduce the pressure on the Federal Government. He also criticized the political class for failing to live up to the expectations of the people, calling the current hardship “worrisome.”
Since the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government financial autonomy in July, about 15 states have held or announced elections for local governments. The ruling barred governors from dissolving democratically elected councils and mandated that the Federal Government must allocate funds directly to local governments’ accounts.