The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has expressed serious concerns regarding the conduct of local government elections across Nigeria, describing them as mere coronations of ruling party candidates.
Speaking on Wednesday during a courtesy call by the executive members of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions (FOSIECOM), Yakubu called for substantial reforms to ensure fair and credible elections, as reported by The Punch.
Yakubu criticized state governors for undermining the independence of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), noting that many SIECs lack the functional offices, permanent staff, and security of tenure necessary for conducting free and fair elections.
He stated, “Realising our shared responsibility for the conduct of democratic elections in Nigeria and the challenges faced by SIECs in carrying out their mandates, INEC encouraged the establishment of FOSIECOM in a genuine effort to foster partnership for credible elections in Nigeria.
Unfortunately, the conduct of local government elections in virtually all the states of the federation has become mere coronation of candidates of the ruling parties. It is time to stop the coronation and conduct proper elections.”
Yakubu emphasized that state governors must allow SIECs to operate independently, highlighting issues such as the absence of functional offices in local government areas and the inability to recruit permanent staff.
He also lamented that some SIECs are only constituted shortly before elections and dissolved immediately afterward, with critical functions often taken over by government officials.
Yakubu further highlighted the severe underfunding of SIECs, forcing them to rely on INEC for basic election materials like ballot boxes and voting cubicles, which has led to public confusion between INEC and SIECs.
He said, “They are also severely under-resourced to the extent that some of them rely on INEC even for basic facilities such as ballot boxes and voting cubicles.”
Given INEC’s extensive responsibilities and limited federal budget, Yakubu clarified that INEC’s support to SIECs would now be largely restricted to providing the voters’ register, as mandated by the Constitution.
He underscored that INEC cannot extend limitless support to other commissions for elections outside its mandate.
He pointed out the jurisdictional boundaries between INEC and SIECs, stating that while INEC is responsible for elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), SIECs manage elections for 768 local government chairmen and 8,747 councillors across the country.
“It has been our earnest hope that the elections conducted by INEC in the FCT will provide a model for local government elections across the country. Despite the challenges encountered, there has been a progressive improvement in the conduct of the Area Council Elections in the FCT,” Yakubu noted
There is plurality in electoral outcomes as no single party has ever won elections in all the constituencies in the Area Councils.”
The INEC chairman called on FOSIECOM to address the legal and financial challenges hindering their operations and to protect the integrity and credibility of elections courageously.
He stressed that true independence stems from a commitment to upholding democratic principles, not just from statutory or financial provisions.
Yakubu concluded by reassuring FOSIECOM of INEC’s continued support in pushing for electoral reforms.
“Working together, we should continue to explore all avenues under the law to improve the conduct of local government elections in Nigeria. However, you should always bear in mind that INEC and other stakeholders can only help you, but there must be a determination on your part to do the needful,” he noted.
This development comes amid ongoing discussions about transferring the conduct of local government elections from state electoral commissions to INEC, a move supported by some lawmakers who believe it would minimize the manipulation of the election process by governors.
