Local elections set for 27 March 2004

Long-delayed local council elections in Nigeria have been scheduled for 27 March 2004 throughout the country’s 36 states, officials said. James Omo-Agege, a retired high court judge, who is chairman of the Forum of States Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria, told reporters on Tuesday they were yielding to "mounting pressure from various stakeholders" including political parties and civil society groups. The tenure of Nigeria's 774 local government councils elected in 1999 ended in May 2002, but new elections could not take place because the voter register had not been revised by then. The National Assembly as well tried to extend its stay in office by one year through a new electoral law but this was nullified by the Supreme Court, which ruled it unconstitutional. After two initial postponements, the council polls were deferred indefinitely in August 2002. In their place, state governments across the country appointed "caretaker committees" to take charge of the business of local councils. However, opposition parties have accused ruling parties in the various states of appointing loyalists into council positions and holding on to councils they probably would not have won in free elections. Omo-Agege urged the state governments to provide adequate funds to their electoral bodies to enable a successful conduct of the vote.