Former Senate chief whip, Senator Roland Owie, has challenged the National Assembly to make the enactment of laws facilitating the autonomy of the 774 local government areas of the country a priority.
Owie stated this while speaking with our correspondent in Benin, Edo State. The former lawmaker, who is now the South South Zonal Leader and chieftain of the newly registered Action Democratic Party, said that it had become imperative for both the House of Representatives and the Senate to fashion out lasting laws that would entrench the autonomy of all the constitutionally recognised local government areas in the country.
He also urged the National Assembly to scrap the various State Independence Electoral Commissions by empowering only the Independent National Electoral Commission with the conduct of all elections in the country.
Owie alleged that the SIECs had turned themselves into instrument for perpetrating all sorts of electoral fraud and impunity, especially in the conduct of local government council elections across the Federation.
He, therefore, expressed the determination of the newly registered ADP to offer Nigerians the desired quality leadership. The former lawmaker described the ADP as the best alternative platform to move the country forward and improve its socio-economic and political well-being of the nation. Owie assured Nigerians that the new mega party would pull the carpet off the feet of both the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party and the ruling party All Progressives Congress. According to him, “ADP is coming to take over reins of power come 2019 and it will ensure that power returns to the people, who are the real owners of government and governance”.
Owie also commended the Senate for confirming the recent appointment of Mr. Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Earlier, while inaugurating the Edo State executive members of the ADP, which has Mr. Oloruntobi Gabriel as the state chairman, the party leader tasked the new officers to work assiduously towards ensuring purposeful leadership, peace, unity and progress of the members and the party.
Also speaking with our correspondent, the Edo State Chairman of the ADP, Mr. Oloruntobi Gabriel, assured that he would do everything possible within his political experience and maturity to bring about new innovations in political party management to make the party in the state a model for all to follow.
Gabriel urged the members of the party executive to work as a team in order not to betray the confidence reposed in them.
He further solicited the cooperation of all party members in the task of bringing together people with the interest of the masses at heart in order to assist and take the country and the state to enviable height.
