The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on state independent electoral commissions (SIECs) across the country to improve the quality and credibility of LGA polls.
Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman, spoke on Tuesday at a
meeting with executive members of the Forum of State Independent Electoral
Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said although virtually all states of the federation now
have local government councils, there is a challenge of election quality.
He cited the federal capital territory (FCT) as a model for
consistent and credible LGA polls, noting that it is the only part of the
country where caretaker committees have never replaced elected councils.
He said elections are held regularly, and no political party
has won all the area councils.
He said SIECs must step up the credibility of their
elections to avoid damaging the integrity of the country’s electoral process.
“The best cooperation that can exist between INEC and the
SIECs is for the SIECs to strive to conduct local government elections in the
manner that INEC has done in the FCT,” he said.
The INEC chairman warned SIECs against disregarding the
supreme court’s judgment on statutory notice periods for elections.
He condemned recent actions by a state electoral body that
gave only 21 days’ notice before local government elections, describing it as
“unlawful” and “impractical”.
“I want to draw your attention to the judgment of the
supreme court on the conduct of local government elections. Conducting local
government elections without having the mandatory notice long before the
election contravenes the judgment of the supreme court,” he said.
“A recent announcement by a state electoral commission,
which gave only a 21-day notice, is not only a violation of the law and the
subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court; it is also a practical problem.
“How can political parties conduct primaries, nominate
candidates, and campaign while the electoral commission prepares logistics,
training, and security within 21 days? It is practically impossible.
“So, as the umbrella body of state electoral commissions,
carry this message to your members as to the importance of complying with
statutory timelines for the conduct of local government elections.
“Money is never greatly available for the conduct of
elections and electoral activities. But your challenges actually go beyond funding.
Without a clear definition of processes and procedures, no amount of money will
solve any problem.”
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