Delegates attending the 13th National Delegates Conference of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) in Jos have firmly rejected growing calls for the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).
Instead, they advocated for meaningful reforms to strengthen the institutions responsible for conducting local government elections.
According to a statement released by the European Union on Thursday, participants in the conference emphasized the need to improve the operational independence, financial stability, and administrative efficiency of SIECs rather than abolish them.
The event, aimed at analyzing the challenges confronting SIECs and proposing practical reforms, was supported by the European Union under its Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria programme.
Speaking at the conference were Prof. Samuel Egwu, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, his Nasarawa State counterpart Abdullahi Sule, FOSIECON Chairman Jossy Eze, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) representative Oliver Agundu — all of whom stressed that dismantling SIECs is not a viable option.
They argued that comprehensive reforms would be more effective in ensuring that SIECs operate with the necessary autonomy and accountability to improve local electoral processes.
Prof. Egwu stated, “I support the retention and strengthening of SIECs because we operate a federal polity.
The imperative of federalism requires us to strengthen local rule, and there is no other way.
The second option, which may seem attractive, is to transfer the power to conduct local elections to INEC.
While this appears simple, it does not align with the logic of federalism.
The third option, which some have proposed, is to set up a new bureau to oversee local government elections. However, this proposal has already suffered a premature end on the floor of the Senate.
My point, therefore, is to respect federalism.”
FOSIECON Chairman Jossy Eze criticized the undue political pressure often placed on SIECs, despite their constitutional mandates.
He expressed disappointment that, despite constitutional backing, SIECs are often under pressure to serve vested interests.
According to him, while there are several bills before the National Assembly seeking to abolish SIECs or transfer their mandates, none appears to address the real issues.
Governor Mutfwang emphasized the importance of addressing leadership selection and governance at the grassroots level.
“The conversation should begin with how we recruit leaders in this country.
We must develop a strategy that helps us identify individuals who genuinely have the people’s interest at heart.
Bad governance does not just undermine democracy. It leads to underdevelopment and the waste of public resources.
Autonomy is masking the real issues. What we need to focus on is efficiency. As someone who has governed at the local level, I believe improving governance at that tier is essential.”
Governor Sule voiced his readiness to support any reform proposals arising from the conference and even offered his state for piloting initiatives.
“I offer Nasarawa State for any pilot initiatives that may be proposed. We have already taken similar steps with our State House of Assembly.”
INEC representative Oliver Agundu urged SIECs to adopt a long-term approach to elections and deepen collaboration with civil society.
“SIECs should not treat the conduct of elections as isolated events,” he said.
“Elections are a process that includes post-election activities. We have observed that many SIECs become active only during election periods.”
The conference concluded with a shared commitment to pursue reforms that will enhance the credibility and efficiency of local government elections across Nigeria.
