INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu says the national electoral body can cope with conducting local government elections.

Mr Yakubu said this when he appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committee on INEC and Electoral Committees on Thursday.

“So if this responsibility for the conduct of local government elections is transferred to INEC, can INEC cope? The answer is yes, INEC can cope,” Mr Yakubu asserted. “What are we? By definition, INEC is the Independent National Electoral Commission. Right now, we do national elections, state elections, and local government elections.”

The INEC boss said the commission’s track record in national elections and area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory proves it is up to the task of conducting local government elections across the country.

“We also conduct governorship elections, state assembly elections, and area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory. Our track record proves that we can do it. In the Federal Capital Territory, there are six area councils, 62 wards, and councillorship elections,” Mr Yakubu explained.

He added, “This is one part of the country where INEC has conducted local government elections regularly, without caretaker committees, ensuring stability and security of tenure. The recent amendment of the Electoral Act provides a four-year tenure for area councils in the FCT.”

Recently, the Supreme Court granted local governments full autonomy, ordering their monthly financial allocations to be paid directly to their respective accounts instead of state governments collecting allocations on local government behalf.

The clamour for local government elections to be conducted by INEC has followed the Supreme Court’s verdict granting them autonomy.