At the first South-South Leadership Conference of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) held in Port Harcourt, former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, expressed strong reservations against the proposal for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to handle local government elections.
He argued that such a move would overburden INEC and counteract the ongoing calls for decentralization of powers in Nigeria.
Secondus, leveraging his extensive political experience, criticized the current operations of INEC, particularly questioning the credibility of the national elections conducted under its supervision.
His remarks reflect broader concerns about centralizing electoral authority at a time of increasing advocacy for devolving powers to enhance efficiency and responsiveness in governance.
During his address, Secondus also called for the drafting of a new constitution that better represents the aspirations and desires of the Nigerian populace, labelling the existing constitution as fundamentally flawed.
This stance resonated with the conference’s broader themes of governance and regional development.
The conference, chaired by Ijaw elder statesman, Anabs Sara-Igbe, also highlighted the marginalization of traditional rulers in the constitutional framework.
Sara-Igbe advocated for more significant roles for these local figures in governance, particularly in the South-South region, which is navigating the economic transition from oil to gas.
He further underscored the importance of agriculture for regional food security and economic diversification, citing the region’s potential in fish production for local and continental markets.
The event drew a notable crowd, including IPAC’s national leadership and chairpersons of political parties in the region’s six states.
Among the attendees were former Minister of Transport, Abiye Sekibo, former Governor Celestine Omehia, Niger Delta activist Ann Kio-Briggs, and other distinguished personalities, all gathered to discuss “Good Governance and Security As Panacea to Grassroots Development.”