By Ologeh Joseph
Four Hundred election observers are expected to monitor the Ekiti State Local Government election slated for Saturday December 02.
In a Statement madr available to Irohinoodua on Wednesday, the Nigerian Human Rights Community, NHRC said it has completed plans to deploy 400 local observers across the 16 Local Governments and 19 Local Council Development Area for the Saturday poll.
The observers are expected to monitor and documents pre-election, during election and post-election issues relating to democratic gains, challenges, threats and opportunities with the overall aim of deepening the democratic space in Nigeria and empower the people to take charge of their affairs.
NIHRCO is a coalition of 132 civil society and human rights group spread across Nigeria. The election will hold in 2,445 polling units, 177 registration Areas and in three Senatorial Districts across the State. The election is expected to elect Chairmen in 16 Local Councils and 19 Local Development Councils and about 177 councillors who will drive development in local areas for the next three years.
The group said Local Council elections are as important as national elections.
‘The local councils are the first point of economic reference by Nigerians. The councils are the closest to the people. The Local Council officials are the ones the people see and relate with on local, state and national issues of development. It remains a critical aspect of sustainable development that is unfortunately ignored by the people, the opposition and the local and international communities’, the statement signed by Taiwo Adeleye, Fred Ojinka and Kudu Abubakar said.
The coalition said majority of Nigerians live in rural communities and are directly affected by socio-economic situations at the local levels adding that electing the right people at the local councils will help eliminate public distrust and contribute to choosing the right people at the state and national levels.
The group said it was high time Nigerians began to take serious local government elections adding that in recent time, the allocation to local councils have increased to the extent that they should be able to make meaningful impact in the lives of rural dwellers.
In Europe and America, the group said, local councils are managed by the best in the society who have a long range of experiences with a blood bound relationship with communities, sharing their fears and aspirations with the political actors. ‘If Nigeria can get local government elections right, dealing with challenges in National elections will be easier’, the group said.