…as EU trains SIEC Chairpersons on leadership skills

By David Odama

The National Chairperson of State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), Ayuba Yandai has said that the review of the law establishing the state independent electoral Commission would not only strengthened the nation’s s Democratic system, but  remove the ambiguity in the conduct of elections in Nigeria.

The European Centre for Electoral Support ( ECES) has equally begun the training of Chairpersons of the 36 States  Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) on leadership and quality management skills for effective service delivery in Nasarawa state

Wadai argued  that the nation’s Democratic system has continued to experience  set back because the electorial laws has remain for years without review to pace the way for free flow of the electoral  process in Nigeria.

According to the  FOSIEC National Chairman,  the forum of SIEC is considering forwarding a bill to the National and state Houses of Assembly for the review of the state electoral law as well as ensuring that  there were uniformity in the elections oflocal government across the country.

” We are advocating for the review of the state independent electoral  law, uniformity in the in the conduct of  local councils elections across the country”, Wadai said.

Speaking at the training of the 36 State Independent Electoral Commission Chairperson,  Project Coordinator, ECES,

Hamza Fassi-Fihri explained that the five-day training  was aimed at enhancing capacities of the chairmen of SIECs,  strengthen their institutional abilities in conducting local elections in Nigeria.

According to the project Coordinator, “We have been working in Nigeria since 2017 as part of the European Union Support to Democratize  Governance in Nigeria, a project which is dedicated to supporting INEC, Forum of State Independent Electoral Commission (FOSIECON) and SIECs to strengthen the electoral process in Nigeria.

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“We believe in the importance of strong institutions, particularly the consolidation of local democracy and thus democracy in Nigeria,” he stated.

Fassi-Fihri further said that local democracy was indeed a key feature of vivid democracies as it allowed citizens to choose leaders who were closest to them and make decisions that affected their daily lives.

While urging  the participants to use the knowledge gained  to deliver on their constitutional mandates,  the project coordinator thanked the European union for their constant support to ECES  activities and for funding the programme.

Governor . Abdullahi Sule  represented by the Special Duties Commissioner, Abubakar Imam commended the ECES for organising the training expressing optimism that the training would  add value to electoral institutions and SIECs.

Governor  Sule reiterated the resolve of his administration to uphold the tenets of democracy upon which Democratic system thrive globally.

In a goodwill message, Alhaji Ibrahim Bako, Chairman, FOSIECON, appreciated the ECES for organising the training .

He said the commission was ready to use the knowledge gained to strengthen electoral processes in the various states.

Vanguard News Nigeria