Treason Against Democracy? Stakeholders Warn Against Scrapping State Electoral Commissions

Delegates at the 13th National Delegates Conference of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON), held in Jos, have firmly rejected proposals to dismantle the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs). Instead, they advocated for comprehensive reforms to enhance the credibility and autonomy of these bodies responsible for conducting local government elections.

Backed by the European Union through its Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) programme, the conference provided a platform to evaluate the challenges facing SIECs and propose solutions to improve grassroots electoral processes.

Key stakeholders, including Benue State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Sam Egwu; Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang; his Nasarawa State counterpart, Abdullahi Sule; FOSIECON Chairman, Jossy Eze; and INEC representative, Oliver Agundu, all emphasized the importance of preserving SIECs.

They unanimously argued that rather than abolishing SIECs, efforts should be made to grant them genuine independence, including financial and administrative autonomy, in line with Nigeria’s federal system.

Prof. Egwu stated, “I support the retention and strengthening of SIECs because we operate a federal polity. Federalism necessitates the empowerment of local governance. Transferring local election duties to INEC may seem efficient, but it contradicts the principles of federalism. Similarly, the suggestion to establish a new bureau for local elections has already failed in the Senate.”

FOSIECON Chairman, Jossy Eze, voiced frustration over political interference in SIECs, despite their constitutional mandate. He noted that while several bills in the National Assembly seek to either abolish or restructure the commissions, they fail to address the root problems plaguing local elections.

Governor Mutfwang added, “The real discussion should begin with how we select leaders in this country. We need a system that identifies individuals who genuinely serve the people. Bad governance not only threatens democracy but also drives underdevelopment and squanders public resources.”