The State Assembly polls also carry high stakes. Here’s why you should pay attention
If there’s any reason to believe that a single election has the power to change the political direction of a country, Nigeria’s February 25, 2023, presidential election is another testament.
From the outcome of the election which shows how young Nigerians disrupted the political status quo, the older generation are now taking them more seriously as important factors in the electoral process.
With the state House of Assembly elections billed to hold on Saturday, March 18, 2023, many young voters have been wondering what the election is about and why it matters.
What are the State Assemblies?
The State House of Assembly is the legislative arm of government at the state level. While we have the National Assembly at the federal level making laws for the entire country, members of the state House of Assembly, who are elected for a period of four years, make laws for their respective states, approve budgets and perform other functions. They are also empowered to make laws on matters on the Concurrent List. For instance, when there is a proposed constitutional amendment, the amendment must also be sent to the Houses of Assembly across the 36 states for approval after it has been approved by the National Assembly.
Unlike the executive arm of government where officeholders can only be elected for a maximum of two terms in office, there is no limit to the number of times a legislator can run for office, this is why it is common to see lawmakers who have spent up to 20 years in office. It is a standard practice in other parts of the world.
Why does the election matter?
The legislators perform oversight functions on the executive arm of government – the governor, the cabinet members, government ministries, departments and agencies, and constantly put them in checks to avoid abuse of power. They have the power to impeach a governor or deputy governor.
As the representatives of the people of a particular area, they are expected to represent the interest of their constituents and bring their plights to the attention of the government. For instance, if the areas they represent lack access to healthcare centre, it is the responsibility of the legislator to constantly bring this to the attention of government and facilitate the provision of such amenity for the people.
They also educate their constituents about a proposed law and are mandated by the law to have a constituency office in the area they represent to allow their constituents access to them.
Who checks the legislators?
While the legislators perform oversight functions on the executive and are empowered by the law to remove an executive officeholder from office, legislators can also be recalled by their constituents if they believe they are not performing their duties.
What happens if a governor’s party loses the majority of the assembly?
Although this rarely happens in Nigeria, if it does, many believe the lawmakers who are from an opposition party will be antagonistic to the agendas and programmes of the governor.
With the new wave of political awareness sweeping across the country where the Labour Party and the NNPP have been causing upsets in different states, it will not be surprising if this happens.
In states like Anambra, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Edo where courts have sacked sitting PDP governors and declared candidates of the opposition parties as the duly elected governors, most of the lawmakers who were elected on the platform of the PDP decamped to the new governors’ parties. In Ondo, a majority of the lawmakers decamped to Labour Party in 2009 to work with the new governor.
What happens if a governor’s party wins majority seats?
It allows the governor to operate smoothly with the lawmakers and give room for speedy approval of proposed plans. But many also believe it does not give room for checks and balances and makes the lawmakers rubber-stamp of the governor, granting assent to all the governor’s requests without subjecting them to scrutiny.
