…Accuses them of failure to organise credible LGA elections
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has lampoon State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) over their failure to conduct a credible, transparent Local Government elections.
The commission accused the State electoral umpires of coronation of the candidates of the ruling parties, charging the State Governors to allow SIECs to have greater capacity for independent action.
Commission’s chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made the allegation in Abuja on Tuesday in his remarks during a courtesy visit by the Executive members of the Forum State Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (FOSIECON).
Yakubu further lamented that many of the SIECs have no functional offices in the LGAs in their States and cannot recruit their own permanent staff.
He equally noted that in some States, the SIECs are either not properly constituted, have no security of tenure or their critical functions have been taken over by government officials.
He said: “Over the years, attempts were made to encourage the SIECs to maintain their independence. We signed an MoU under which assistance in the form of training, provision of some facilities, institutionalisation of the culture of planning through the development of a strategic plan, holding regular meetings with stakeholders, encouraging the SIECs to participate in our retreats and accrediting their officials to observe our elections.
“We also established the joint INEC/FOSIECON consultative Committee headed by a National Commissioner. All these initiatives were proposed and undertaken in the firm belief that by working together, the 36 SIECs will leverage on the experience of INEC for a progressive improvement in the conduct of Local Government elections in Nigeria.
“Unfortunately, the conduct of Local Government elections in virtually all the States of the Federation has become mere coronation of candidates of the ruling parties. It is time to stop the coronation and conduct proper elections. State Governors should allow the SIECs to have greater capacity for independent action.
“Many of the SIECs have no functional offices in the Local Government Areas in their States and cannot recruit their own permanent staff. In some States, the SIECs are either not properly constituted, have no security of tenure or their critical functions have been taken over by government officials.
“Some SIECs are only constituted on the eve of elections and dissolved thereafter. They are also severely under-resourced to the extent that some of them rely on INEC even for basic facilities such as ballot boxes and voting cubicles,” Yakubu lamented.
Expressing anger further, the electoral umpire boss said: “Consequently, many Nigerians mistake the SIECs for INEC. Indeed, even some of the stakeholders, including candidates for Local Government elections, call them State INEC. This situation has forced us to reconsider some aspects of our relationship with the SIECs.
“Our support is now largely restricted to the voters’ register as provided by the Constitution. INEC cannot shoulder its own extensive responsibilities and at the same time extend almost limitless support to other independent electoral commissions for elections outside our mandate across the country from our lean Federal budget.
“INEC is not unaware of the ongoing discussions about the future of elections for the 774 Local Government Chairmen as well as Councillors representing the 8,809 electoral wards in Nigeria. However, under the extant law, the 36 SIECs are responsible for the election of 768 Local Government Chairmen and 8,747 Councillors, making a total of 9,515 constituencies. INEC conducts elections for the 68 constituencies in the FCT made up of 6 Area Council Chairmen and 62 Councillors, including bye-elections as they arise,” Yakubu noted.