By Joseph Erumke, Abuja

Participants at the ongoing 13th National Delegates Conference of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria, FOSIECON, have called for the reform of State Independent Electoral Commissions, SIECs.

The delegates believe that such reforms will guarantee the independence of SIECs, along with their financial and administrative autonomy, thereby strengthening their capacity to conduct credible elections.

This position directly challenges the recent clamour for the scrapping of SIECs and the proposed transfer of their responsibilities to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

 It also counters calls for the establishment of an entirely new election management body to replace SIECs.

Delivering the keynote address at the conference in Jos on Wednesday, Prof. Samuel Egwu analysed the three major proposals currently under discussion for addressing local government elections. He expressed support for the position that SIECs should be retained and reformed.

“There are three pathways that have been suggested for how to deal with issues around elections at the local government level,” he said.

“One is to say there is nothing wrong with SIECs; all that is needed is reform. That is the position I support.

“I support the retention and strengthening of SIECs because we operate a federal polity. The imperative of federalism requires us to strengthen local rule, and there is no other way.

“The second option, which may seem attractive, is to transfer the power to conduct local elections to INEC. While this appears simple, it does not align with the logic of federalism.

“The third option, which some have proposed, is to set up a new bureau to oversee local government elections. However, this proposal has already suffered a premature end on the floor of the Senate. My point, therefore, is to respect federalism.”

Prof. Egwu also pointed out that the conduct of elections in Nigeria is broadly challenging, and that both SIECs and INEC face significant institutional hurdles. Therefore, he argued, there is no justification for abolishing one body while retaining the other without addressing the systemic challenges they both encounter.

Other speakers at the conference, including FOSIECON Chairman Jossy Eze; INEC representative Dr. Oliver Agundu; Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State; and Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, all echoed the call for strengthening SIECs through targeted reforms.

Mr. Eze expressed disappointment that, despite constitutional backing, SIECs are often under pressure to serve vested interests. He noted that while there are several bills before the National Assembly seeking to abolish SIECs or transfer their mandates, none appear to address the real issues.

“It is public knowledge that there are bills currently before the National Assembly, some seeking the abolition of SIECs, others proposing the establishment of new election management bodies, or the transfer of SIECs’ mandate,” Eze said.

“However, I am unaware of any motion or bill aimed at understanding the challenges facing SIECs or providing reform-driven solutions to strengthen them.”

Representing INEC, Dr. Oliver Agundu encouraged SIECs to view elections not as one-off events but as continuous processes. He also called for deeper engagement with civil society organisations and voter education efforts to better inform the electorate.

“SIECs should not treat the conduct of elections as isolated events,” he said.

 “Elections are a process that includes post-election activities. We have observed that many SIECs become active only during election periods.”

Governor Mutfwang of Plateau State weighed in on the ongoing debate, stating that the real issue is not whether to abolish SIECs but how to improve leadership recruitment and governance efficiency at the local level.

“The conversation should begin with how we recruit leaders in this country,” he said. “We must develop a strategy that helps us identify individuals who genuinely have the people’s interest at heart. Bad governance does not just undermine democracy. It leads to underdevelopment and the waste of public resources.

“Autonomy is masking the real issues. What we need to focus on is efficiency. As someone who has governed at the local level, I believe improving governance at that tier is essential.”

Governor Sule of Nasarawa State pledged support for whatever reform solutions the conference agrees upon. He also offered his state as a pilot for implementing the recommendations.

“I hope, at the end of this conference, FOSIECON delegates will come up with actionable solutions. Many governors will be willing to support those efforts,” he said. “I offer Nasarawa State for any pilot initiatives that may be proposed. We have already taken similar steps with our State House of Assembly.

The 13th National Delegates Conference of FOSIECON aims to critically analyse the challenges facing SIECs and propose workable solutions to strengthen local election administration. The conference is supported by the European Union through its Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU SDGN) programme.