House of Representatives Orders Relocation of INEC Local Government Offices
Naijawebinfo reports that the House of Representatives has issued an order for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to relocate all its local government offices out of the premises of the 774 council headquarters in Nigeria to neutral locations.
The order was made in response to a motion sponsored by Prof. Paul Nnamchi, member representing Enugu East/Isi-Uzo federal constituency, which was adopted by the House. The motion, titled “Urgent Need To Relocate INEC Local Governments’ Offices To Neutral Venues,” was aimed at ensuring the independence of INEC in the conduct of elections.
Nnamchi argued that section 157 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees INEC’s autonomy and independence to conduct national elections. He pointed out that the majority of INEC’s local government offices are currently situated within local government headquarters, which could potentially compromise the organization’s impartiality.
“This proximity exposes INEC to undue interference from interest groups, particularly in areas dominated by a single political party, and hampers its ability to conduct fair elections as enshrined in section 6 of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended,” Nnamchi said.
In his arguments, Nnamchi also stressed the importance of relocating INEC’s offices to maintain public trust and confidence in the electoral process.
The House has directed INEC to provide budgetary provisions in the 2025 budget to commence the relocation process and has also appointed a committee to liaise with INEC and other relevant stakeholders to ensure compliance and report back to the House within four weeks.
