A bill seeking to establish a federal agency for conducting local government elections passed its first reading in the Nigerian Senate on Thursday, July 18.

Titled “Local Government Independent Electoral Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2024,” the proposed legislation was introduced by Senator Sani Musa (APC – Niger East), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.

The Guardian reports that the National Assembly (NASS) had announced, on Monday, it would transfer the responsibility of conducting local council elections from state electoral bodies to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) pending the passage of the Bill.

Chairman of the Senate Services Committee, Senator Sunday Karimi, while addressing journalists in Abuja on July 15, praised President Bola Tinubu for his role in securing financial autonomy for local governments, as recently affirmed by the Supreme Court.

He said that the National Assembly will ensure state governments comply with this ruling and will amend the constitution to address related issues.

Karimi also stressed the need to amend the electoral act and the 1999 constitution to empower INEC to conduct local elections, ensuring that qualified candidates are elected to lead local governments.

He added, “Experienced individuals are essential for managing local government funds effectively and fostering grassroots development.” (The Guardian)