The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has accused state Governors of allowing the independence of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).
Yakubu said that the elections are mere coronations of ruling party candidates and called for significant reforms to ensure they’re fair and credible.
The INEC boss made the remarks on Wednesday, during a courtesy call by the executive members of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions.
He pointed out that many SIECs lack functional offices, permanent staff, and the security of tenure necessary to conduct free and fair elections.
He said, “While recognizing our collective responsibility in conducting democratic elections in Nigeria and acknowledging the challenges faced by SIECs in fulfilling their mandates, INEC supported the creation of FOSIECOM. This initiative aims to foster a genuine partnership for ensuring credible elections in Nigeria
“Unfortunately, local government elections across nearly all states in the federation have devolved into mere coronations of the ruling parties’ candidates. It is time to end this practice and conduct genuine elections.”
“State governors should empower the SIECs to operate more independently. Currently, many SIECs lack functional offices in their Local Government Areas and are unable to recruit permanent staff,” he stated.
He lamented that in some states, these commissions are only formed shortly before elections and dissolved immediately afterwards, leaving critical functions to be handled by government officials.
The chairman emphasized the severe underfunding of SIECs, which compels them to depend on INEC for essential election materials such as ballot boxes and voting cubicles. “This dependency has caused confusion among the public, leading many to mistake SIECs for INEC, he noted,
“In some states, the SIECs are either not properly constituted, lack security of tenure, or have had their critical functions taken over by government officials.”
“Some SIECs often come into existence just before elections and are disbanded afterward,” the chairman noted.
“Their lack of resources is glaring, with some even depending on INEC for essentials like ballot boxes and voting booths.
“Given INEC’s broad duties and constrained federal funding, the chairman stressed that INEC’s assistance to SIECs would mainly involve furnishing the voters’ register, as stipulated by the Constitution.
Yakubu emphasized that INEC cannot provide endless support to other commissions for elections beyond its mandate.
He said, “As a result, many Nigerians confuse SIECs with INEC. Even stakeholders, including Local Government election candidates, refer to them as 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 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.”
The chairman clarified the jurisdictional boundaries between INEC and SIECs, stating that while INEC was responsible for elections in the Federal Capital Territory, SIECs manage elections for 768 Local Government Chairmen and 8,747 Councilors across the country.
He pointed to the FCT elections conducted by INEC as a model for local government elections nationwide, stressing that improvements such as secure tenures for elected officials, regular elections, and diverse electoral outcomes. No single party has ever dominated all constituencies in the Area Councils, he stated.
“INEC is not unaware of the ongoing discussions about the future of elections for the 774 Local Government Chairmen as well as Councilors 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 Councilors, making a total of 9,515 constituencies. INEC conducts elections for the 68 constituencies in the FCT made up of six Area Council Chairmen and 62 Councillors, including bye-elections as they arise.
“It has been our earnest hope that the elections conducted by INEC in the FCT will provide a model for Local Government elections across the country. Despite the challenges encountered, there has been a progressive improvement in the conduct of the Area Council Elections in the FCT.
“There is security of tenure for Chairmen and Councilors which is now four years. There are no caretaker committees as elections are held regularly. There is plurality in electoral outcomes as no single party has ever won elections in all the constituencies in the Area Councils.
“Happily, the Electoral Act 2022 that now governs the conduct of national and Area Council elections also applies to Local Government elections nationwide. This has been made possible by the efforts of INEC arising from earlier discussions with FOSIECOM on the imperative of a model law to govern the conduct of Local Government elections across the country,” he added.
The INEC Chairman called on FOSIECOM to address the legal and financial challenges hindering their operations and to courageously protect the integrity and credibility of elections.
He stressed that true independence stems not only from statutory or financial provisions but also from the commitment to uphold democratic principles.
“I therefore appeal to FOSIECOM to take the bull by the horns. While there are legal and financial constraints to your operations, your independence does not necessarily draw from statutory or financial provisions alone.
“The courage with which you discharge your obligation to protect the integrity and credibility of elections is the most important determinant of success. There are no shortcuts to the discharge of this enormous responsibility.
“I want to reassure you that INEC will continue to work with you to push the boundaries of electoral reform. Working together, we should continue to explore all avenues under the law to improve the conduct of Local Government Elections in Nigeria,” he said.
