The Jigawa State chapter of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned against the alleged plan to amend the state’s electoral law.
The party fears the exercise is being done to allow the imposition of caretaker committee chairpersons in the 27 local government areas of the state.
The state House of Assembly has constituted an eight-member ad hoc committee to review the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) and Local Government Laws.
The lawmakers said the committee was mandated to review the law to conform with the Electoral Act 2022.
The development was a sequel to the adoption of a report by its Committee on Local Government, which studied a petition presented by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
The IPAC, in a communique issued at the end of its meeting on 25 March and read on the floor of the House on 27 April, advocated the review of the SIEC and Local Government Laws.
PDP disagrees
But the PDP claimed the move by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled Assembly violates the 1999 Constitution and undermines democracy.
The party’s state chairman, Ali Idris, in a statement, said the appointment of unelected executives as local council chairpersons is unconstitutional and undemocratic.
Source: premiumtimesng.com
