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By Madu Obi
Governor Chukwuma Soludo has finally bowed to pressures from political opponents and Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, as he has decided to conduct local government election in the state.
Soludo has subsequently sent an executive bill to the state House of Assembly for a law to reestablish the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, whose staff have remained redundant for many years.
The bill, which has passed second reading, was presented before the house by the majority leader, Ikenna Ofodeme and it would enable and empower the executive arm of government to conduct local government election in the state when passed into law.
According to Ofodeme, the bill which has about 110 clauses, will no doubt assist the state to address the interest of both the government and those that are not in government.
Recall that Governor Soludo had during his inaugural address on March 17, 2022, promised to make the conduct of the local government election a priority of his administration, but the election could not hold after two years of the administration.
Leading the debate on the floor of the house on Tuesday, the majority leaderOfodeme, said the governor has shown that he is willing to conduct a free and fair local government election in the state.
Supporting the motion, Mr Patrick Okafor representing Onitsha North 2 said with the clauses in the bill, the governor has shown that he is poised to provide dividends of democracy to the grassroots through a democratically elected government which the people have been yarning for.
Speaking in the same vein, the member representing Ogbaru constituency 1, Mr Noble Igwe said the lawmakers have been working on the bill for the past six months to ensure that the Commission is empowered properly to conduct a credible local government election in the state.
Also contributing, Lady Nkechi Ogbuefi representing Anaocha constituency 1 and Emmanuel Nwafor representing Orumba South constituency said that by coming up with the bill, the governor has shown his willingness to keep to his words to conduct local government election.
Majority of the lawmakers observed that the bill when passed, will be a model for the conduct of local government elections not just for the state, but for the country at large, as it tried to capture parts of the 2022 Electoral Act of Nigeria.
The Speaker of the house, Hon Somtochukwu Udeze, who presided over the plenary, assured that the lawmakers will not hesitate to support the executive arm in its zeal to deliver the promises made to the people.
He urged the legislators to dutifully go through the bill before the final reading and passage.
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