Says policy will undermine principles of federalism
A civil Society Organisation (CSO) and election observer, Yiaga Africa, yesterday, kicked against calls for the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and the transfer of the responsibility of conducting local council elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Yiaga’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, said that the policy proposal is fundamentally flawed and would have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s democracy if implemented.
According to Itodo, the move will overstretch an overburdened INEC, leading to poorly conducted council elections, adding that it undermines the autonomy of states as guaranteed in the constitution, potentially leading to an over-concentration of power in the Federal Government.
Yiaga’s executive director, who maintained that the move would weaken local democracy and citizens’ participation as local communities will be stripped of the opportunity to participate in decision-making, said that the abolition of SIECs contravenes the constitutional principle of state autonomy.
He said: “By centralising the conduct of local council elections under INEC, the proposal undermines the federal structure and erodes the autonomy of the states, leading to an unconstitutional overconcentration of power at the federal level.
“Yiaga Africa’s position is that while the calls for abolishing SIECs are understandable, it’s no antidote to flawed council elections. The proposal fails to address the underlying causes of ‘electoral coronation’ masquerading as elections at the local level.”
He, therefore, called for the amendment of the constitution to explicitly safeguard the operational, administrative and financial independence of SIECs, adding that the power of SIECs to make its own rules and regulate procedures must not be subject to the approval or control of governors to protect their autonomy.
“Address the ambiguity regarding the tenure of local council chairmen and councillors through constitutional amendments to minimise arbitrary dissolutions of councils by governors. Establish clear timelines for making appointments into SIECs.
“Introduce additional mechanisms for equitable devolution of power to state and local council, including laws that empower councils with greater administrative and fiscal autonomy.”
“It is imperative for state assemblies to enact a robust legal framework for SIEC activities, including guidelines for conducting elections, dispute resolution procedures, and penalties for electoral misconduct.
“State electoral laws must be harmonised with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act to ensure uniformity and legal coherence.”
