By Balarabe Oshiafi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to stop the ‘coronation of candidates’ of the ruling parties in the conducts of local governments elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu sees it as muzzling of the opposition by the state Governors and called on them to allow SIECs to be truly independent.
Yakubu stated this on Wednesday in Abuja during a courtesy call by executive members of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions (FOSIECOM).
He said both INEC and SIECs are creations of the Constitution, adding that the conduct of local government elections was fundamental to the proper functioning of the country’s democracy.
The chairman added that Sections 153 and 197 of the Constitution establish INEC and SIECs as two distinct and independent bodies with powers under the Third Schedule Part I (F)(14-15) and Part II (B)[3-4] to organise, undertake and supervise elections.
Yakubu explained that while SIECs are responsible for the conduct of local government elections for Chairmen and Councillors, INEC conducts all other executive and legislative polls from presidential and governorship to national and State legislative elections.
He stressed that realising the shared responsibility for the conduct of democratic elections in Nigeria and the challenges faced by SIECs in carrying out their mandates, INEC encouraged the establishment of FOSIECOM in a genuine effort to foster partnership for credible elections in Nigeria.
The INEC Boss emphasized that over the years, attempts were made to encourage the SIECs to maintain their independence.
He stated: “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.”
The INEC Chairman would end his address by counselling the visitors to endeavour to muster effort of will to uphold the integrity of the electoral process in the grassroots and refrain from dancing to the whims and caprices of Governors.
He assured SIEC of INEC’s support and cooperation at all times.
