DSIEC- meaning Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, released the time schedule for electoral activities yesterday heralding the conduct of local government council election in the State.
The current council administration throughout the State expires in this October 2017.
On the 8th day of June 2017, at a Town hall meeting at Agbor, the Governor emphasised that undemocratic practice in the councils, throughout the State, will not be tolerated.
In line with that speech, and with the unsuspecting public smarting for a change of batton at the grassroots, DSIEC was dissolved, new guiding statutes put in place, new set of helmsmen aggregated and inaugurated with a directive to swing into action and put electoral activities behind them in 30 days.
Today, Tuesday 3rd day of October 2017, the media world is inundated with the publicity of DSIEC on the newly released timetable for Council Election in the State.
A careful perusal of the timetable for Council Election so released revealed that there is a window tactically created for illicit, undemocratic practice in the 25 local councils for a period of more than two (2) months.
While DSIEC timelines commences on October 3rd 2017, and council administration expires later in the same October, why would council election hold in January the following year, thereby creating a vacuum for more than 2 months?
Between the day current Council Chairmen and Councilors’ tenure expires and the day the next batch will be sworn in (of course in 2018), who heads the respective 25 local councils in Delta State?
Does this period of “undemocratic governance” not negate the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, especially as enshrined in section 7 (1) ?
All financial transactions and activities of the respective councils for the period shall then be handled by who and how ?
Deltans, shine your eyes on this mid day act of executive illegality on our people by our people and, well, not for our people.
Edwin Okoh writes in from Ozanogogo
