From Olanrewaju Lawal Birnin Kebbi
Kebbi state,branch of, Interparty Advisory Council (IPAC) has rejected the appointment of the 21 local councils sole administrators in Kebbi state.
The delegation, led by the state Chairman,Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammed on a advocacy visit to the leadership of Kebbi state house of assembly, asked for more explanation from the lawmakers why the State Government appointed Sole Administrators for Councils instead of conducting LGA poll.
He noted that, such actions are injurious to democratic settings, denials of the opposition parties existing in the state to participate local government election.
“We vehemently rejects the appointment of local councils sole administrators in Kebbi state”, he said.
He recalled that, towards the end of the LGA Chairmen tenure, IPAC engaged state electoral body KSIEC on their level of preparations for local councils elections but their response was that the state government was yet to respond to the request sent to them requesting for funds and permission to conduct polls he said.
The IPAC Chairman ,who expressed dissatisfaction with the law which permits the state governors to appoint local governments sole administrators described it as anti people and morally improper for governors to rely on the law to refuse to conduct elections saying elongated political tenure may trigger chaos as seen in one African country recently.
In his reaction, the Kebbi state, Speaker, Alhaji Muhammadu Usman Zuru, said that, the state government acted within the ambit of the law citing section 8 of 2018 law which permits the state Governor’s to appoint sole administrators in event where the state electoral body is not prepared for elections.
According to him, the tenure duration is three months and renewable after expiration subject to approval of the house, adding that the law also allow for extension up to a year.
He said the present crop of leaders and members of the house have been guiding the state government on legitimate ways of doing things as permitted by the law, stressed that that was main reason there has not been any rancour between legislators and the executives.
Zuru told IPAC delegations that, the law is not yet amended but is subject to review in order to meet public demands which will be subjected to public opinion and contributions when the time comes.