The Senate has asked the federal government to stop the statutory allocation of funds to local government councils whose chairpersons were not democratically elected.
The resolution followed a motion by the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, during the plenary on Friday.
Mr Moro, the senator representing Benue South under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), complained that some state governors dissolved elected local government officials and replaced them with caretaker committees.
The senator specifically identified Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, as one of the Nigerian governors running affairs of local governments with caretaker committee
He said the development was against the constitutional provision of the local government system.
Mr Moro therefore urged members of the upper chamber to condemn the use of caretaker chairpersons as administrators of local governments.
The majority of the senators supported the motion when it was put to debate.
Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) argued that the state governors do not have political power to dissolve elected local government officials and replace them with caretaker committees.
Mr Oshiomole, a former governor of Edo State, recounted his experience when he refused to dissolve elected local government officials when he was a governor.
He stated that about 16 state governors are currently running their LGAs with caretaker committees.
The Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, also supported the motion.
Mr Ndume, the senator representing Borno South and member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), condemned the use of caretaker chairpersons as administrators of local government councils.
He urged the Senate to encourage the Federal Ministry of Finance to stop the release of funds to local government areas run by caretaker committees.
Abdulfatai Buhari (APC, Oyo North) called for the amendment of the Electoral Act to empower the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct local government elections.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, advocated for the establishment of the National Electoral Commission for Local Government to stop state governors from influencing LG elections.
Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, put the motion to vote and the senators voted overwhelmingly in its support.
He, thereafter, directed the Clerk of the Senate to communicate the resolution to the appropriate authorities.
Despite the Senate resolution, however, the federal government is expected to continue to release statutory allocations to the 774 local governments across Nigeria based on constitutional provisions.
