BY SAAWUA TERZUNGWE

The local governments in Kebbi State are virtually run as appendages of the state government with the party in control at the state government dictating the pace and policy at the grassroots.

When Gov. Saidu Dankigari came to power in 2007 he was expected to sustain the political structure handed over to him by his predecessor and political benefactor, Senator Adamu Aliero.

But, however, as the new governor settled down, so did the taste of political independence grow in him. It was as such not surprising that the structure and system in the 21 local governments he inherited from Aliero became a sacrificial lamb.

The first local government election conducted by the Dankigari administration was on the 23rd of February, 2008.

Following that, the Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission, KESIEC announced 5th of June, 2010, for the conduct of elections to replace those elected in 2008 following the early dissolution of the LG councils. The dissolution was upon perceived political differences that emerged following the political combat between Dakingari and Aliero, given that a number of Aliero’s men were among those elected in the 2008 election.

The elections, however, did not hold as scheduled by KESIEC due to political turbulence and crisis within the two factions in the People’s Democratic Party, PDP,  and also because of a court injunction restraining KESIEC from conducting the elections.

Gov. Dakingari

Sole administrators as such guided the conduct of the until the 15th of September, 2012, when KESIEC under the leadership of Hajiya Ada Sani Ka’oje  conducted the election for a new set of Chairmen and councilors.  All 21 local government chairmanship seats were won by the PDP which also took 221 council wards.

The main opposition at that time, the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC won control of four wards -one in Birnin Kebbi local government, two in Augie and one in Aliero. The State Chairman of Accord, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Abdullahi and the State Secretary of the CPC, Barrister Shehu Mashal in separate remarks flayed what they described as the marginalization of opposition parties at the third tier.

With the above results of the elections  announced by the KESIEC boss Hajiya Ada Sani Ka’oje, the oppostion have continued to criticise the way democracy is being operated in the state and especially at the local government level describing the election as not being free and fair.

Despite varied accounts of infrastructure development by the Dakingari administration, it is generally known that there is no equivalent growth in the political maturity of the democratic structures at the local government level. Indeed, the state government is known to have direct control over all the democratic structures and institutions at the local government levels and determines to a large extent, which projects should be executed by the local authorities and who becomes the chairman or councilor at any time.

Comrade Ahmed Bunza, director of Centre for Development of Democracy, Birnin Kebbi condemns the system of local government administration as warped.

“We have a very warped view of democracy as it relates to local government administration. The issue of joint account is just one out of several other issues tormenting local government administration in Nigeria including Kebbi State. Others are; the issue of political interference, economic strangulation and democratic liberalization. There is need for local government autonomy in terms of finance, politics, sociology and even the economy”.

Former deputy governor of the state and national organizing secretary of the All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, Alhaji Suleiman Mohammed Argungu also debunked the situation. “It is in the interest of the governor that determines who becomes the Chairman of a particular local government and Councillor for a particular ward in Kebbi. The state government determines projects to be awarded and executed at the local government level.”