The Senate on Monday called on Nigerians to vote for only candidates that have a clear agenda to liberate the local government system in the 2023 general election.

Senator Olalekan Mustapha, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on States and Local Government Administration, stated this at the second edition of the Local Government Economic Summit in Abuja.

Mustapha, who disclosed that the local government system in the country was in a mess and subservient situation, urged the electorate to vote for only candidates that would ensure local government autonomy.

He said, “As the general election draws closer, Nigerians should vote only for politicians that have a clear agenda to liberate our local government system by granting them full political and financial autonomy.

“What we’re seeing today in the various states is no political and financial autonomy.

“It’s so ironic for a local government not to have authority to fund development in their various localities without the approval of their supervising ministry.”

Mustapha added that if all the state governments pass the Bill on Financial Autonomy as approved by the National Assembly, rural areas will develop, and insecurity will be tackled.