National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Funmi Ojo | OYO
A former National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC) at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Festus Okoye has stated that no arm of the Nigerian government can claim total autonomy.
Okoye made this statement while discussing the Supreme Court’s recent decision on Local Government Autonomy, which granted full autonomy to all 774 local governments across the country.
He emphasized that the Nigerian Constitution ensures that all government bodies function both cooperatively and independently, maintaining a balance of power and responsibilities.
Okoye noted that every tier and sector of governance should operate within a constitutional and legal structure that guarantees checks and balances, and that they all derive their authority from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He added that the concept of absolute autonomy or independence does not exist within the Nigerian federal framework, as all government organs, authorities, and individuals with legislative, executive, or judicial powers must comply with the provisions of the Constitution.
Okoye also stated that the organization of governorship and state Assembly elections should fall under the jurisdiction of the states, but the framers of the Nigerian Constitution believed that this responsibility should lie with the Independent National Electoral Commission.
