The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has said  establishing a separate body for local government elections could lead to redundancy, increased bureaucracy, and potential conflicts of interest.
President of the union, Comrade Chris Isiguzo, said this at the  INEC Quarterly Consultative Meeting with media executives on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at the INEC headquarters, Abuja.
Comrade Isiguzo opined that the proposal by government to create an Independent Local Government Electoral Commission was unnecessary. Instead, leveraging INEC’s established framework, experience, and resources would be a more efficient and effective approach to managing local government elections.
He applauded the Supreme Court judgment which granted full autonomy to local government administrations, noting that the landmark ruling is a major stride towards strengthening democracy at the grassroots level.
He however proposed that for this autonomy to be truly conclusive and impactful, there was a need for constitutional amendments by the National Assembly.
Comrade Isiguzo said INEC enjoys constitutional authority to conduct national and sub-national elections and extending this authority to include the third tier of government will ensure uniformity, credibility, and efficiency in the electoral process.
He stressed that the importance of engaging with the media, especially in the context of elections, cannot be overemphasized, adding that the media serves as the bridge between the electoral commission and the citizens.
“This synergy between INEC and the media is crucial as we approach the off-season gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo states”, he said.
“The transparency and efficiency with which elections are conducted directly influence the public’s confidence in our democratic processes. I am confident that INEC is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that these elections are free, fair, and credible”, he said.
Nigeria Union of Journalists, I reaffirm our commitment to supporting INEC in its mission to uphold the integrity of elections in Nigeria. Together, we can foster a democratic environment that is open, accountable, and reflective of the will of the people.”
Earlier in his remarks the INEC Chairman,  Prof Mahmood Yakubu reminded media organisations that the portal for media accreditation (https://imap.inecnigeria.org) was still open.

Members of opposition political parties in the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, staged a walkout over a bill seeking to raise the ways and means cash advances from five to 10 per cent.
The walk out came at plenary, after an amendment by the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, that the ways and means be reduced to two per cent was rejected.
Section (38) of the CBN Act (2007) provides that the advance by the apex bank, in the form of ways and means, must not exceed five per cent of the previous year’s revenue of the federal government.
Hon Chinda moved the amendment during the consideration of the report on the bill at the committee of the whole, saying this would enhance transparency in federal government’s spending.
The report proposed raising the ways and means advances from the existing five to 15 per cent.
Chairman of the Committee on Finance, Hon James Faleke, however, opposed Hon  Chinda’s amendment, urging the House not to go below the five per cent in the Act.
“For us to move on, we need to move up. For the issue of transparency and accountability, the Committee (on Banking and Currency) has the responsibility to oversight,” he said.
Contributing to the debate, Hon Ibrahim Isiaka, lawmaker from Ogun State, supported Hon Faleke’s position, proposing that it should be raised from five to 10 per cent.
On his part, former Deputy Speaker of the House, Idris Wase, from Plateau State, moved a motion for an amendment that 10 per cent should be maintained.
Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker and presiding officer, appealed to members for understanding, in view of the recent increase in the minimum wage of workers, saying the government needed more money.
“There is gap, and funding has to come from somewhere to bridge the gap in meeting government’s obligations,” he said.
Consequently, he called for a voice vote on Hon Wase’s amendment motion, the “nays” were louder than the “ayes,” but he ruled in favour of the “ayes.”
This provoked the lawmakers who loudly expressed their dissent with a repeated “no”.
It was at this point the opposition lawmakers, led by Hon Chinda, walked out of plenary.
Subsequently, the report was adopted and passed for third reading.
Ways and means is a loan facility through which the CBN finances federal government’s budget shortfalls.
The CBN law limits advances under ways and means to five per cent of the previous year’s revenue, but this has been observed in breach over the years.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed to the media for fair and factual reporting on the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States.
The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja during INEC’s quarterly consultative meeting with media executives.
He noted that the September 21 date for the Edo election and the November 16 date for the Ondo election were fast approaching, saying that INEC’s preparations were in top gear.
“I wish to remind you of your obligation as journalists to report factually and accurately about the election and electoral activities, in compliance with the ethics of your noble profession.
“You should continue to be a bulwark against fake news, misinformation and disinformation. I urge you to fully comply with the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage. Similarly, you are required to comply with the INEC guidelines for media accreditation available on our website,” Prof Yakubu said.
He expressed concern about the security situation in Edo and Ondo states, saying INEC would soon meet security agencies to fashion out security modalities.
He said, “We are as concerned about the safety of your personnel and equipment just as we are about the security of our officials, observers, service providers and, above all, the voters.
“We will also work with the security agencies to ensure that accredited journalists are granted unimpeded access to all voting and collation locations.
”The commission will meet with the security agencies as early as Friday this week under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security. I want to assure you that security in Edo and Ondo will be a major issue for discussion at the meeting.”
On INEC’s preparedness, he said, “It is now 51 days to the Edo State governorship election, coming up on Saturday 21st September 2024. Our preparations are going on in earnest. I am glad to report that we have recovered from the torrential rainfall that resulted in the severe flooding of our state headquarters in Benin City two months ago. The damage to the physical infrastructure as well as movable and immovable facilities are being fixed or replaced.
“We have delivered additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines to Edo State for the training of election duty personnel as well as contingency for election day support. We have once again published the final list of candidates in compliance with the recent court order mandating the commission to replace the running mate with the candidate of the Labour Party. The amended list is already published on our website,” he said.