Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has called for the dissolution of State Electoral Commissions to enable democracy to flourish at the local government level. Speaking at a one-day discourse on national security challenges and good governance at the local government level, Fagbemi identified the commissions as a major obstacle to local government development.

The event, organized by the House of Representatives, focused on addressing Nigeria’s security challenges and promoting effective governance at the local level. Fagbemi criticized governors for exploiting constitutional loopholes to undermine and marginalize local governments. He specifically highlighted the abuse of Sections 7(1), 83(3), and 7(5) of the 1999 Constitution, which has allowed governors to impose their will on local governments and deny citizens at the grassroots level meaningful representation.

Fagbemi emphasized that the most egregious abuse of local government authority is the use of state electoral commissions to impose leaders through sham elections, while many governors appoint caretaker leaders without due process. Additionally, he condemned the misuse of joint state and local government accounts by governors, which has led to fiscal constraints and rendered local governments ineffective.

To address these issues, Fagbemi advocated for comprehensive constitutional reform to remove all obstacles hindering local government development and enable them to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities. He suggested that abolishing state independent electoral commissions and transferring their powers to the Independent National Electoral Commission would help achieve this goal, as state commissions are often beholden to incumbent governors.