Abstract
The inclination and imposition of non-elected local government council impoverished the political institutional structure of local government while many state governors have trampled upon the constitutional provision which vindicate and established democratically elected local council. Therefore, this study carefully examines budding appointed caretaker committee in Nigerian local government which has become a quagmire to survival of grassroots democracy. This study employs qualitative source of data, samples are drawn from the states operating appointed caretaker committee system in Nigeria. The study concludes that out of 36 states, 14 states comprising six geo-political zones are operating appointed caretaker committee local government council in Nigeria. The subject of non-conduct of elections at the third tier of government has become a common trait within the political spheres of most states. The tier of government which is closest to the grassroots is thus hijacked, prevented from meeting up with its primary and major obligations; the citizens have been denied fair representation with feelings of alienation and disillusionment. Therefore, the study recommends constitutional review and its strict compliance in order to democratize political institution of local government whilst the lacunas and loopholes entrenched in the 1999 constitution should be amended to stem the proliferation of appointed local government executive councils in Nigeria. Key words: Local Government, Caretaker Committee, Democracy, Grassroots, Governance, election.
Highlights
The Nigerian political elite do not believe in the constitution under which they claimed to have assumed power (The’ Punch Newspaper, December 9, 2012).Despite the claim of being in control of political activities in their states, many governors fail to conduct local council elections out of fear that the outcome of the elections might hinder their political ambitions. (GeorgeEmine)
The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this constitution guaranteed; and the government of every state shall subject to Section 8 of this constitution, ensure their existence under a law which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils (1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria)
There is some ambiguity as to whether the state governors can dissolve local councils before elections are conducted at the expiration of their tenure, but often, state governors capitalize on this ambiguity to dissolve local councils at the end of their tenure, and appoint Caretaker Committees. These Committees are staffed with cronies and party sympathizers. It is against this background that this study examines mushrooming appointed caretaker committee in local governance in Nigeria which has become a quagmire to grassroot democracy
Summary
The Nigerian political elite do not believe in the constitution under which they claimed to have assumed power (The’ Punch Newspaper, December 9, 2012). Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution allows for an elected administration in the councils but in practice, most of the councils in Nigeria are administered by appointed chairmen or caretaker committees. The ambiguities in 1999 Nigerian constitution contribute to the proliferation of appointed caretaker committee in local government in Nigeria, as Omar (2012) explicitly argued that credible elections into local government councils have been non-existent from independence in 1960 till date. This is because the local councils are often subjected to controls by the upper levels of government in the federal system of government. This school of thought believes that democracy is a way of life that "demands that one another's point of view and one another's interest be mutually appreciated". (Panter-Brick, 1970: 347 cited in Aluko, 2010)
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