The PDP says the move by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled Assembly violates the 1999 Constitution and undermines democracy.
The Jigawa State chapter of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned against the alleged plan to amend the state's electoral law.
The party fears the exercise is being done to allow the imposition of caretaker committee chairpersons in the 27 local government areas of the state.
The state House of Assembly has constituted an eight-member ad hoc committee to review the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) and Local Government Laws.
The lawmakers said the committee was mandated to review the law to conform with the Electoral Act 2022.
The development was a sequel to the adoption of a report by its Committee on Local Government, which studied a petition presented by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
The IPAC, in a communique issued at the end of its meeting on 25 March and read on the floor of the House on 27 April, advocated the review of the SIEC and Local Government Laws.
PDP disagrees
But the PDP claimed the move by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled Assembly violates the 1999 Constitution and undermines democracy.
The party's state chairman, Ali Idris, in a statement, said the appointment of unelected executives as local council chairpersons is unconstitutional and undemocratic.
"Section 7(1) of the Constitution mandates democratically elected chairmen for local government councils", Mr Idris said.
He also criticised the Jigawa State Independent Electoral Commission for failing to publish a timetable for new local government elections, as required by Section 64(1) of its own law.
The PDP called for the commission's leadership to be dissolved and replaced with capable hands to organise council elections immediately.
The PDP also urged the state government to conduct elections before the tenure of the current local government council chairpersons, and councillors expires in July rather than imposing caretaker chairpersons.
"Attempt made by the Jigawa State House of Assembly to pave the way for the Jigawa State Government to appoint sole administrators for the 27 local government councils of Jigawa State is unconstitutional and undemocratic.
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"Section 7 sub-section 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) makes it mandatory for every local government council in Nigeria to be headed by a democratically elected chairman.
"Even the so-called Jigawa State Independent Electoral Commission has violated section 64(1) of its own law that mandated it to publish a timetable for new local government election not later than 90 days to the expiration of the tenure of the current local government council chairmen without any legal justification.
"The inaction of the commission to do the needful left us with no other option than to pass a vote of no confidence on the leadership of the commission and urge the Jigawa state government to dissolve it forthwith and to appoint capable hands that can organise council elections immediately.
"We are calling on them to organise elections before the tenure of the current occupants of the local government councils expires," the PDP statement said.
