{"id":119023,"date":"2025-05-22T00:31:48","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T23:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=119023"},"modified":"2025-05-22T00:31:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T23:31:48","slug":"group-demands-full-autonomy-for-state-electoral-commissions-decries-political-interference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/uncategorized\/group-demands-full-autonomy-for-state-electoral-commissions-decries-political-interference\/","title":{"rendered":"Group Demands Full Autonomy for State Electoral Commissions, Decries Political Interference"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>By Tracy Moses<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) has renewed its call for operational and financial independence from state governors, warning that credible elections at the third tier of government cannot be guaranteed without it.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>National Chairman of the forum, Jossy Chibunde Eze, made the appeal during the 13th National Delegates Conference of FOSIECON held in Jos, Plateau State, on Wednesday, 21st May 2025.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Eze described the gathering as a timely platform to confront persistent institutional hurdles hampering the performance of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) nationwide.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>While reaffirming the constitutional role of SIECs in conducting local government elections, he lamented the deep-rooted political interference, inadequate funding, and misinformation that plague many of the commissions.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cSIECs are constitutionally mandated to function independently, yet they face undue pressure from those who appointed them,\u201d Eze said. \u201cThe truth is, without genuine autonomy, we are merely managing elections, not conducting them,\u201d he added.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He further expressed concern that despite legal provisions guaranteeing their autonomy, SIECs often depend on state executives for funding, leaving them vulnerable to manipulation and compromising their credibility.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cImagine conducting an election with no control over your own budget. That\u2019s the reality for many of us,\u201d he noted.<\/div>\n<div>\u201cWe are often told to be impartial, yet denied the tools to be truly independent.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Eze also criticized the lack of administrative control within SIECs, noting that many are unable to independently recruit, manage, or discipline their staff, a shortfall he believes severely impairs their capacity to organize credible grassroots elections.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cYou cannot hold us accountable for processes we do not fully control,\u201d he said. \u201cStaffing, logistics, security, these are core components of any credible election, and we must be allowed to handle them without interference.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cThe recurring perception of SIECs as mere tools in the hands of governors is misleading and damaging,\u201d he emphasized. \u201cWe are not state branches of INEC or errand bodies of governors. We are independent institutions under the constitution.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He also absolved SIECs of blame when political parties fail to participate in elections, saying such decisions lie solely with the parties.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWe provide the platform and invite all registered parties. If some choose not to participate, it is not an indictment on the process but a political decision,\u201d Eze said.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The FOSIECON chairman commended Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, for hosting the conference and for his administration\u2019s commitment to entrenching democracy at the grassroots level.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cGovernor Mutfwang\u2019s willingness to provide a platform for this crucial dialogue is a strong statement about his belief in electoral integrity,\u201d Eze said. \u201cWe urge other governors to emulate this bold leadership.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In his remarks, Governor Caleb Mutfwang assured the forum of his administration\u2019s dedication to empowering the state electoral body to perform its duties without hindrance.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cOur democracy is only as strong as the institutions that support it,\u201d Mutfwang said. \u201cWe must stop seeing SIECs as political appendages and start treating them as the pillars of local governance that they truly are.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Eze wrapped up his address with a call on the Nigerian Governors&#8217; Forum and the National Assembly to initiate reforms that would strengthen, rather than scrap, the operations of SIECs.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cLet us not throw the baby out with the bathwater. The solution is not to abolish SIECs, but to empower them,\u201d he concluded. \u201cWe call on lawmakers at all levels to act with courage and urgency.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The three-day conference brought together experts, lawmakers, and civil society stakeholders, all of whom echoed the need for comprehensive reforms that will bolster the independence and effectiveness of SIECs.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>One of the participants, Dr. Fatima Bako, an election monitoring expert, stressed the importance of shielding local electoral bodies from partisan control.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cThe credibility of local government elections is foundational to democracy,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we continue to ignore the plight of SIECs, we risk undermining the entire electoral process from the ground up.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Another delegate, Hon. Chinedu Nwankwo, a state legislator from Enugu, noted:<\/div>\n<div>\u201cThere is growing public disillusionment with local elections. Reforming SIECs could help rebuild trust in the democratic process at the grassroots.\u201d<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Tracy Moses The Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) has renewed its call for operational and financial independence from state governors, warning that credible elections at&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":119026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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