Govt Announces Date For Nasarawa LG Elections

The upcoming election for chairmen and councillors of the 13 local government councils in Nasarawa State is scheduled for August 31, according to the Nasarawa State Government.

The Chairman of the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC), Ayuba Wandai, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting with officials of the state Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lafia, the state capital, on Tuesday, January 2.

Wandai further informed that the current chairmen and councillors were elected on October 6, 2021, and inaugurated on October 8, 2021, for a three-year term concluding on October 7, Naija News reports.

“This is our second engagement the first was in August 2023 in line with the law establishing the Commission.

“The law has given them the mandate to begin preparation for election one year before the expiration of the tenure of the officials.

“The commission is a law-abiding institution that has continued to promote the adherence to the laws governing the conduct of LGs election in the state,” Wandai noted.

‘No Political Party In Nigeria Is Functional’ – Ex-APC Vice Chairman, Salihu Lukman

Meanwhile, a former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) North-West, Salihu Lukman, has asserted that Nigeria lacks a ‘functional’ political party.

This statement was made during an interview with Arise Television on Monday, Naija News understands.

According to Lukman, political parties are only active during election periods.

He said, “We need to make our democracy functional, and our democracy cannot be functional if it’s reduced to only periodic elections.

“Elections only take place every four years, and the substantial issue regarding making democracy work is to make elected leaders accountable, representative, and responsive to the interests of Nigerians. This is the core business and function of political parties.

“As of today, none of our parties is functional, and as long as we allow the main business of political parties to produce candidates, things can’t change.

“The constitution of all parties states that after elections, political parties’ business includes promoting and developing policies of government in such a way that they reflect the party’s manifestos. As of today, the manifestos of political parties in the country are theories.

“There’s hardly any government at the federal and state levels working based on the campaign promises and manifestos of their respective political parties.”