National Assembly bills under fire for ignoring core issues

Local democracy under threat–Stakeholders

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, alongside state governors and development partners, has rejected fresh moves to scrap State Independent Electoral Commissions, SIECs, insisting that reforms, not abolition are the panacea to credible grassroots polls.

At the 13th National Delegates Conference of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria, FOSIECON, held in Jos, Plateau State, participants unanimously opposed ongoing legislative efforts in the National Assembly aimed at erasing SIECs from the constitution.

The European Union, in a statement disclosed that delegates called for immediate reforms to strengthen the operational capacity, independence and autonomy of the SIECs instead of scrapping them.

The high-powered conference, supported by the EU’s Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria programme, featured critical stakeholders including Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang; Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule; Chairman of FOSIECON, Jossy Eze; INEC’s Director of Legal Drafting, Oliver Agundu; and election expert, Prof. Samuel Egwu.

Speaking on the controversial proposal, Egwu maintained that abolishing the SIECs or transferring their functions to INEC would violate the core tenets of federalism.

“Dismantling SIECs and creating a centralised electoral bureau undermines Nigeria’s federal structure. What is needed is reform, not removal,” he cautioned.

In his remarks, Eze lamented that political interference remains a major obstacle for SIECs, despite the constitutional backing they enjoy. 

He said: “The proposed constitutional amendments fail to address the real challenges plaguing local government elections.

“Bills at the National Assembly seeking to dissolve or restructure SIECs are cosmetic at best. They are mere smokescreens that avoid the root of the problem, political interference and lack of autonomy.”

On his part, Governor Mutfwang called for a thorough overhaul in the process of recruiting leaders, noting that credible leadership is crucial for effective grassroots governance.

“The integrity of elections starts with the people we put in charge. We must commit to identifying genuine leaders who are committed to service delivery,” Mutfwang stated.

Governor Sule of Nasarawa State declared his readiness to implement conference resolutions in his state, even offering it as a pilot case for reform.

“We are not just here to talk. Nasarawa is ready to lead by example,” Sule said.

INEC’s Agundu, while addressing delegates, urged SIECs to embrace elections as ongoing civic duties rather than occasional events. 

He also pushed for deeper collaboration with civil society and more aggressive voter education initiatives.

“Democracy thrives on sustained engagement. We must stop treating elections as one-off activities,” he said.

The conference concluded with a communique emphasising the urgency of granting SIECs both financial and administrative independence as a way to restore public trust and improve electoral credibility at the grassroots.