Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi (SAN) has given reasons why local government elections conducted in different states of the country may be nullified.
Fagbemi gave the reasons at the 12th convocation of Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, stating that “Any state Governor who fails to give six months’ notice before conducting local government elections will face nullification in courts.”
Fagbemi’s warning comes after the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) conducted local government polls in the state on September 28, with only a month notice to political parties and candidates.
The AGF criticised the trend of state governors rushing to hold elections without following the necessary legal procedures, stating that some governors even amended local government laws to suit their own political agendas.
In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy, Fagbemi clarified that there is no three-month moratorium granted to state governors to delay implementing the court’s decision. He reiterated that the court’s decision ensures financial autonomy for all 774 local governments.
Fagbemi warned that any state government that schedules local elections beyond the deadline set by the Supreme Court may face legal challenges and potential nullification if they fail to provide six months’ notice as required by law.
