Nigerian Human Rights Community, NIHRCO, has urged the National Assembly and the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, to work with the State Independent Electoral Commission, SEIC, to ensure that Bimodal Voters Accreditation System, BVAS, are used in local elections.

The group, which stated that local government elections are as important as national elections, stressed that if a transparent democratic system is put in place at the grassroots, Nigerians are bound to reap the reward.

It also called on NASS to create special intervention funds to assist the State Electoral Commission to meet democratic obligations in line with the fiscal support given by the Federal Government to INEC.

NIHRCO spoke after observing last Saturday’s local government election in Ekiti State.

It commended Ekiti for a peaceful election, saying the exercise has once again demonstrated the quality of leadership in the state.

“The local government election was not perfect, but it represented a remarkable achievement in building sustainable democratic culture in Nigeria,” the group said in a statement signed by its Programme Officers, Mr Taiwo Adeleye and Fredrick Ojinika.

“At this time that Nigeria faces internal threats to democracy and growing concerns about public trust, it is important to deepen democracy and strengthen governance at the grassroots. This is exactly what has happened in Ekiti State. We commend what appears to be the high moral ground of the Governor of the State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji who earlier embarked on a non-violence campaign across the state, using the extensive media space ahead of the Local Government election,” NIHRCO said and urged other state governments that have not conducted local government elections to do so.