Yiaga Africa has kicked against abolishing the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and transferring their duties to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In May, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, had advocated scrapping of SIECs.
He said their functions should be transferred to INEC to ensure independence and transparency in the outcome of local government elections.
Speaking in Abuja at the national discourse, Fagbemi said scrapping state electoral commissions would allow democracy to take its roots in the local governments through a robust constitutional amendment.
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Reacting to the development on Friday, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said abolishing the SIECs and transferring their responsibilities to INEC would overstretch the commission and undermine the autonomy of states.
Itodo, in a statement he personally signed, noted: “Yiaga Africa has observed increasing calls for the abolition of SIECs and the transfer of the responsibility of conducting local government elections to the INEC. This policy proposal is fundamentally flawed and would have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s 25-year democracy if implemented. First, it will overstretch an overburdened INEC leading to poorly conducted local elections.
“Second, it undermines the autonomy of states guaranteed in the Constitution, potentially leading to an overconcentration of power in the Federal Government. Thirdly, it weakens local democracy and citizens’ participation as local communities will be stripped of the opportunity to participate in decision-making.”
Itodo said instead of abolishing the commission, the government should amend the constitution to safeguard the operational, administrative and financial independence of SIECs.
He said: “Amend the Constitution to explicitly safeguard the operational, administrative and financial independence of SIECs. Ensure that the power of the SIECs to make its own rules and regulate procedures should not be subject to the approval or control of governors, thereby protecting their autonomy.
“Address the ambiguity regarding the tenure of Local Government Chairmen and councilors through constitutional amendments to minimize arbitrary dissolutions of local governments by Governors supported by state legislatures. Establish clear timelines for making appointments into SIECs.
“Introduce additional mechanisms for equitable devolution of power to state and local government, including laws that empower local governments with greater administrative and fiscal autonomy
“It is imperative for state assemblies to enact robust legal framework for SIEC activities, including guidelines for conducting elections, dispute resolution procedures, and penalties for electoral misconduct. State electoral laws must be harmonized with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act to ensure uniformity and legal coherence.”
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