Senator Ubah Slams Governor Soludo, Calls Non-Conduct of LGA Polls ‘Unacceptable’

In a recent session at the Senate, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah from Anambra South Senatorial District voiced strong disapproval of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s failure to organize local government elections in Anambra State, despite being in office for over two years.

Senator Ubah highlighted the prolonged absence of democratic processes in local government administration in the state, spanning 18 years. He argued that the current administration had a responsibility to rectify this longstanding issue.

Speaking during a discussion on a motion initiated by Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman-Kawu from Kano South, Senator Ubah, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), emphasized the need for President Bola Tinubu to take action to rejuvenate the local government system.

He attributed various national challenges such as insecurity, urban migration, deteriorating infrastructure, and high unemployment rates partially to the lack of democratization at the grassroots level.

Senator Ubah pointed out that the failure to implement the constitutional framework outlined in Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution regarding local government systems has hindered the autonomy of the nation’s third tier of government.

In his remarks, Senator Ubah stressed, “If we want to promote good governance in this country, we need to look at Section 7 of the 1999 constitutional framework so we can start having value for democracy in our respective states.”

He specifically cited the case of Anambra State, which has not conducted local government elections for nearly two decades. He linked the governance challenges faced by the state, including poor infrastructure and youth unemployment, to the non-implementation of the constitutional provisions related to the local government system.

Senator Abdulrahman-Kawu, the sponsor of the motion, earlier raised concerns about certain governors impeding local government autonomy in Nigeria through constitutional amendments.