Abia PDP Calls for LG Elections Following Supreme Court’s Autonomy Ruling

The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the presidency to direct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to schedule local government council elections within three to six months.

This request comes in response to the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s recent judgment granting full financial autonomy to local government areas.

In a statement issued on Monday by Abraham Amah, the Abia Deputy Chairman and Acting Publicity Secretary of the PDP, the party suggested appointing sole administrators to manage council affairs during this transition towards full autonomy.

“The Supreme Court’s decision is a crucial step towards enhancing good governance at the grassroots level,” Abia PDP stated, commending the judgment.

The party urged the presidency to submit an Executive bill to the National Assembly for a constitutional amendment to further strengthen local government autonomy.

The proposed revision includes dissolving the current Local Government Service Commission, creating local council-level bodies to manage employees, and establishing a contributory pension scheme.

Additionally, the bill should ensure direct allocation of federal funds to local governments, bypassing the Joint Allocation Account Committee, to prevent gubernatorial interference.

Abia PDP called on state governors to respect the Supreme Court’s ruling and support council heads in utilizing allocated funds for the public’s benefit.

The party also appealed to Nigerian citizens to champion local government autonomy, emphasizing its potential to improve grassroots governance and service delivery.