Govs Mufwang, Sule, others oppose agitation for SIEC’s abolition

.As FOSIECON kicks off national delegates conference in Jos

DANIEL DAUDA, Jos

Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, alongside his counterpart, Engr. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has lent their voice against the scrapping of the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).

The duo said that section 7 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, is very sacrosanct, and any attempt to abolish SIECs is against Nigeria’s democratic ethos.

This is against the backdrop of growing agitations by some Nigerians calling for the scrapping SIECs and the constitution of another umpire to conduct elections at the local government level, in which the bill is pending before the National Assembly.

Governor Mutfwang declared open the 13th edition of the national delegates conference of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) in Jos on Wednesday.

The conference titled: “Local Government Elections in Nigeria; Issues, Challenges and Opportunities”, aimed to address grey areas associated with the local electioneering.

Governor Mutfwang believes the conversation should start with leadership recruitment, that we select those who govern us. “Elections shouldn’t just be about ticking boxes. When you spend billions on an election and the result doesn’t reflect the will of the people, it’s just a waste of resources.

“So, I completely disagree with the idea that state electoral commissions should be scrapped. The answer is not to throw everything away, but to fix what’s broken.

“Also, the collaboration between INEC and the state electoral commissions must improve. The voter data INEC holds doesn’t belong to INEC—it belongs to Nigeria. States should have access to it, without unnecessary restrictions.”

He further stated that Section 7 of Nigeria’s Constitution says local governments should be democratically elected. That’s fine. But I believe every state should have the freedom to run its local governments in a way that works best for them. Local government autonomy is a nice phrase, but it sometimes distracts us from the real issue: efficiency.

“The same goes for the conversation around state police. Yes, there are fears of abuse, but we can overcome those fears with strong oversight.

“Let this conference not just be about speeches. Let it be about action. Let’s raise the standard of leadership and build institutions that work”, the governor concluded.

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State argued that abolishing State Electoral Commissions is not the answer. “I strongly disagree with that idea. It’s not a solution. The same problems you see in the state commissions exist at the federal level, too. So if you scrap the state commissions, you’re not solving the root problem—you’re just moving it around.

“What we need is reform. We need strong, trusted systems and leaders with integrity. I know many governors—including myself and my brother here—who are willing to be part of that solution.”

Keynote speaker Professor Samuel Egwu, who is the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Benue State, revealed that Nigerians had subverted the intention of 1976 reforms, which is the reason why we found ourselves in delicate situation.

He drummed support for strengthening SIECs, saying Nigeria is a federating entity.

FOSIECON national chairman, Barr. Jossy Chibundu Eze admits that periodic local government elections by SIECs to constitute democratically elected chairmen and councillors is the norm, just as caretaker committees, or any other form of administration, is not just an aberration but an affront and negation of the Nigerian constitution.