The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Kebbi State has threatened to sue the state electoral commission if it failed to conduct local government elections in the state on or before the 5th of May 2024.
The state Chairman of IPAC, Ibrahim Muhammad, stated this yesterday when he visited the top echelon of KESIEC in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.
He argued that the appointment of sole administrators was unconstitutional, adding that IPAC would not accept that.
Muhammad said they brought their complaints to KESIEC as a commission saddled with the responsibility of conducting the local government elections because the tenure of the elected council chairmen had expired since February this year.
But reacting, the Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission (KESIEC) said it is yet to hold local government elections in the state because the state government has not approved funds for the exercise.
Chairman of the Commission, Aliyu Muhammad Mera, said the commission had written to the state government twice on the matter and the funds it would need to conduct the election six months before the expiration of the tenure of the council chairmen, but there was no response.
The KESIEC chairman who was represented by the Commissioner 1 of KESIEC, Ahmed Adamu Sani, said, “Though we are independent, we don’t have the funds to conduct elections unless the government releases it to us to conduct local government elections.”
He solicited the support and cooperation of IPAC and other critical stakeholders in finding ways for the government to conduct the elections.
Reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Idris said the state governor “Is a product of election. So, he is committed to conducting a free and fair local government election in the state at the appropriate time.”
