The Imperative of Local Government Elections Commission, by Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua

Since the recent supreme court judgement granting financial autonomy to local governments in Nigeria, state governors have been racing against time to beat the court deadline and avoid stoppage of grants by the federal government. So far, many states have conducted their local governments elections while others have set time for it. However, it has remained debatable whether the elections conducted by those states have passed the integrity test and reflected the wishes of electorates or not. For those who have been monitoring the outcomes of the elections are of the opinion that the elections are sham and far from being free and fair. The win it all syndrome usually characterised the conduct of local government elections did not only play out but become worst in most of the elections conducted recently by SIECOM. State governors ensure only candidates from their parties are declared winners. We have seen how PDP won all the chairmen and councillors seats in Adamawa state and same played out in Benue State in which the ruling party cleared or swept all the elective positions. If you are still optimistic about the conduct of local governments elections in Nigeria, what happened in Rivers state will compel you to change your mind.

An unknown political party with the name APP was declared winner of 22 local governments in the state. While governor Simalayi Fubara might have cleverly planned the whole scenario to outsmart his political godfather, Wike, who has turned his enemy, one imagines how APP becomes acceptable party and coast to victory in a PDP’s strong hold within few months of its existence in the state. When senator Sani Musa (Niger South), sponsored a bill for the creation of Nigerian Local government elections commission (NILGEC),Nigerians heaved a sign of relief. There is no gain saying the facts, the creation of local government election commissions in Nigeria is a crucial step towards ensuring grassroots participation in governance. One of the major reasons for the creation of local governments in Nigeria is to bring governance closer to the People. According to the bill, the NILGEC will be an autonomous body to organise, oversee and conduct elections for the office of local government chairman and councillors in all 36 state and the FCT.

The functions and the power of the elections commission are: To conduct free, fair and transparent elections for local government chairman and councillors, prepare and maintain an accurate and up-to-date voters register, recruit and train electoral officers and staff for efficient election management. The commission is to monitor and supervise all electoral activities and processes. Besides, NILGEC shall operate independently, free from external influences and interference. The commission, like its sister INEC, shall have its own budget, approved by the national assembly to ensure financial independence. The bill also stated how the commission can be constituted. For instance, NILGEC shall consist of a chairperson and six commissioners appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate. The chairperson and commissioners shall serve for five years, renewable once.

The local government elections commission bill has never come at a right time than now when majority of Nigerians have passed vote of non-confidence on the local government elections in the country being conducted by SIECOM. The state independent electorate commission dance to the tune of their governors. They always announce results in favour of their state governors’ political parties. Their unwholesome practices have dampened the moral of electorates and created a huge voters apathy. Electorates hardly come out to exercise their civic responsibility. With the elections outcome already pre-determined ,voters felt, it will be an exercise of futility to vote when their votes can not be counted. But with the success story of INEC in the conduct of FCT area councils elections, where candidates from different political parties win, the national assembly should hasten the passing of this important bill. The much talked financial autonomy granted to local governments should be accompanied by political autonomy. People at the grassroots must have a liberty to vote in a free and fair elections. The imposition of candidates by the state governors against the wishes of electorates retard local governments developments. These imposed leaders did not care to account for their stewardship to their people.

To them, their emergency is not through the popular people mandate but political God fathers. At 25 years of democracy journey, local governments system has been bastardised beyond recognition nothing to celebrate. Local government, as a third tier of government, can not perform their local functions. Their constitutional roles have been tied up to the apron-strings of governors who seldom allow them to breath. In other to deepening democracy participation at grassroots, accelerate development and above all reduce poverty, there is the need for quality leadership at local governments. To achieve this, there is the need for free and fair elections. This call for the creation of Nigeria local governments elections commission to conduct seamless and transparent elections across the 36 local governments in the country.

Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua, Kaduna State 08169056963.