Alhassan Doguwa, chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), has urged the National Assembly to undertake reforms by amending laws to allow INEC to conduct local government elections.

He said this would ensure better governance at both state and local government levels.

Mr Doguwa said this in a statement on Monday.

He said the reforms should focus mainly on local government autonomy and the conduct of their elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) instead of state electoral bodies controlled by governors.

He said that the governors should also be held accountable for the economic challenges bedevilling the country, adding that they received substantial resources.

Mr Doguwa added that only a few of them use the resources judiciously for the purpose they were provided for.

According to him, it’s not about the federal government alone because the country is running a constitutional democracy with federating units that must also be held accountable.

Mr Doguwa said the latest ruling by the Supreme Court on local government autonomy was a positive development for Nigeria. He added that it would be better if the INEC conducted impartial area council elections like the general elections.

He said the state electoral commissions conducting local government elections were mere extensions of the party offices that control their respective states.

The legislator said states simply shared elective offices with members of the ruling parties in the states.

(NAN)