The Inter-Party Advisory Council has opposed the proposed bill by the Senate to create a Local Government Independent Electoral Commission.
IPAC’s National Publicity Secretary, Chinyere Ogekalu, stated the position of the body in a statement in Abuja on Friday.
The spokesperson said that the bill, sponsored by Senator Sani Musa, representing Niger East Senatorial District, was unacceptable and unnecessary.
Ogekalu said that the creation of such a commission would lead to duplication of functions and waste of public funds.
She also said that the proposed commission would not address the challenges faced in the conduct of local government elections in the country.
She added: “Creating another commission will not address the challenges faced in conducting local government elections.
“Instead, it will lead to unnecessary duplication of efforts and resources.
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“The proposed commission will still rely on INEC’s voter register, INEC Result View Portal (IREV), Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS),ballot boxes, and other resources, to conduct successful elections.”
Ogekalu said rather than creating another commission, the country should focus on building the capacity of the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct free, fair, and transparent elections at the local level.
She added: “This is especially crucial at a time when the government is grappling with limited resources to cater to the welfare of citizens.
“We urge the Senate to reconsider this proposed bill and prioritise the strengthening of INEC to deliver credible elections at all levels.”