Chief Sam Onuigbo, former member of House of Representatives has called for the transfer of conduct of local government elections from State Electoral Commissions to Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
He said this on Monday in Abuja during an interview with NAN as the National Assembly embarks on the Review of 1999 Constitution.
Onuigbo represented Ikwuano/Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency at the 9th National Assembly.
Leading politicians and rights activists have been vocal about the need for the review to make local governments truly independent
They include former governors of Edo and Kaduna , Mr Adams Oshiomhole and Malam Nasir el Rufai and Sen. Shehu Sani.
NAN recalls that the Green Chamber on Monday, on Feb. 26, inaugurated a six-man committee on the Review of 1999 Constitution.
House Speaker, Mr Tajudeen Abass promised that the exercise would address the pitfalls of the constitution currently in use which was drafted at the twilight of the military era.
Onuigbo said if INEC conducts local government elections it would minimise the manipulation of the process by state governors whose parties will virtually win all available seats.
“It is the party at the Government House that wins all the elections; so that is a problem.
“So I say that we have to take out (state independent electoral commissions) or let INEC conduct the election so that we can have some balance… to have some competitive spirit’’, he told NAN.