The Niger State House of Assembly has admonished Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and the state Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) to suspend the scheduled timetable for the local government elections due to insecurity.
The electoral body last week announced its timetable for the local government elections. According to the timetable, primary elections will hold from August 20 to 27, while the main election will hold on November 5.
But the lawmakers noted that while the scheduled timetable is contrary to the extant local government elections law which gives 180 days from the conduct of the primaries before the elections can be conducted, it is also impossible to hold campaigns and elections at this period when the state is facing severe insecurity challenges.
The motion for the suspension of the election was raised under matters of public importance by the lawmaker representing Bosso Constituency, Madaki Malik Bosso, and deliberated during plenary yesterday.
Madaki said: “…we should be informed that the extent laws which provides for the conduct of council election in Niger State, as provided in Section 20 of the Niger State Council Election Law (2002), are the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Niger State Local Government (Council Election) Law 2002, the Niger State Local Government Law (2001).”