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By Bitrus Osagie
A non-governmental organisation, Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE) has called for improvements in conduct of Local Government polls to entrench good governance at local government level.
Comrade Mma Odi, General Secretary of the NGO in a news conference held in Gombe on Monday, said credible local government elections was key to earning public trust and confidence in electoral process in the state.
Odi said the group was implementing a project in the state with support from Situation Room/UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office to ensure improved LG elections, good governance and citizens’ participation in governance.
“We are implementing project on promoting electoral credibility and public trust in local government elections in Gombe State.
“The project is to promote partnerships and synergy between the Executive, the Legislature and the citizens in ensuring free, fair, peaceful and credible local government elections and good governance at the local government level.
“The result of this project is to improve management of local government elections, increased citizens’ participation in local government elections and good governance at the local government level,” she said.
According to her, the project commenced in October 2023 and 30 key stakeholders had been mobilised as members of ACE-Nigeria Gombe State Project Implementation Committee to ensure success of the project.
Odi stated that since the commencement of the project, there has been increased civic consciousness and engagement with the executive, legislature and other stakeholders in ensuring enabling environment for credible local government elections.
She said part of the engagements was to ensure independence of the State’s Independent Electoral Commission aimed at ensuring electoral processes were not interfered with in the state.
Our Correspondent reports that Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission (GOSIEC) has fixed April 27 for the chairmanship and councillorship elections in 11 local government areas and 114 wards of the state.