Anambra State governor Chukwuma Soludo has sent a bill to the state House of Assembly for a law to establish the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission and for related purposes 2024.
Already, the bill has passed through second reading on the floor of the Assembly.
The executive bill which was presented by the majority leader, Hon Ikenna Ofodeme, at the House of Assembly plenary yesterday when passed will enable and empower the executive arm of government to conduct local government election in the 21 local government areas of the state.
Ofodeme said the bill which has about 110 clauses will assist the state to address the interest of both the government and those that are not in government.
Incidentally, many stakeholders in the state have been on the jugular of the state governor recently calling on him to fulfill his promise during the campaigns that he would conduct council polls within six months after his inauguration as governor of the state.
Soludo was inaugurated governor of the state on March 17, 2022 which is more than two years now.
Leading the debate for the consideration of the executive bill for a second reading, Ofodeme said by bringing the bill to the state Assembly, Soludo has shown that he is willing to conduct a free and fair local government election in the state.
Supporting the motion, Hon Patrick Okafor, representing Onitsha North 2 noted that with the clauses in the bill, the governor has shown that he is poised to provide dividends of democracy to the grassroots through a democratically elected government which the people have been yearning for.
The member representing Ogbaru constituency 1, Hon Noble Igwe noted that the lawmakers had been working on the bill for the past six months to ensure that the Commission is empowered properly to conduct a credible local government election in the state.
In her own contribution, Hon Nkechi Ogbuefi, representing Anaocha constituency 1, and Hon Emmanuel Nwafor representing Orumba South constituency said the executive arm coming up with the bill shows the willingness of the governor to keep to his words to conduct local government election within two years into office and also to empower those at the grassroots.
The speaker, Hon Somtochukwu Udeze, who presided over the plenary, said the lawmakers would not hesitate to do the needful to support the executive arm in its zeal to deliver the promises made to the people and appealed to his colleagues to go through the bill carefully and expeditiously before the final reading and passage.