1. Home
  2. West Africa
  3. Nigeria
  • News

Electoral decrees pave way for local elections

Nigerian leader General Abdulsalami Abubakar signed into law yesterday (Tuesday) four decrees crucial to local elections on 5 December and guaranteeing the independence of the electoral commission, news organisations reported. The decrees signed were: the Transition to Civil Rule decree (Political Programme), the Local Government decree (Basic constitutional and transitional provisions), the Political Parties decree (registration and activities) and the Independent National Electoral Commission amendment decree. The council polls are the first of a series culminating in presidential elections in February 1999. The polls could be disrupted in southeastern Nigeria if civil servants in the area carry out a threat to start an indefinite strike, the BBC reported today. Many are expected to be serving as electoral officers. The civil servants are demanding the implementation of the minimum wage and the payment of overtime and salary arrears.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

Share this article

Get the day’s top headlines in your inbox every morning

Starting at just $5 a month, you can become a member of The New Humanitarian and receive our premium newsletter, DAWNS Digest.

DAWNS Digest has been the trusted essential morning read for global aid and foreign policy professionals for more than 10 years.

Government, media, global governance organisations, NGOs, academics, and more subscribe to DAWNS to receive the day’s top global headlines of news and analysis in their inboxes every weekday morning.

It’s the perfect way to start your day.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian today and you’ll automatically be subscribed to DAWNS Digest – free of charge.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join