The polity is divided over the verdict of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that local council polls conducted by State Independent Electoral Commission, SIECs, were of low quality.

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, while receiving the new leadership of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigerian, FOSIECON, in Abuja on Tuesday, said, ?The challenge of local government elections is the quality of the elections.?

He stressed the need for INEC, SIECs and other stakeholders to hammer out measures to improve council polls.

Yakubu?s views elicited mixed reactions. While some disagreed with the INEC chairman, some agreed and suggested that the national electoral body should take over the conduct of council elections. Yet, some blamed the INEC for the rot in elections at the grassroots saying it also conducts flawed polls.

Those who spoke on the issue included the Dr. Yunusa Tanko of the Obidient Movement; the African Democratic Congress, ADC; Northern Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN; and state chapters of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos, Bayelsa, Ondo, Oyo, Zamfara and Osun.

Others were Eric Omare of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC; Elder Joseph Ambakederimo of South-South Awakening Group; Mr. Ayo Fadaka of South-West Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; and a former Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Labour Party, LP, Faduri Joseph among others.

All polls?re below par ? Northern CAN

Sunday Oibe of Northern CAN, said there is nothing like local government elections in Nigeria.

?This is a naked truth. Even the blind can see and the deaf could hear clearly that the quality of all the elections conducted by the Nigeria electoral umpire thus far are below standard.

?As per the local government elections across the country, there was nothing like an election but rather, we witnessed imposition by the various state governors. The wishes of the people are subverted in a brazen manner. Nigeria political class has no regard for the wishes of the people unfortunately so. What we are witnessing is political banditry,? he said.

Yakubu stated the obvious ? Fadaka

Former Publicity Secretary of South-West PDP, South West, Hon. Ayo Fadaka, said, ?lNEC stated the obvious that the quality of elections at local government level remains low, indeed abysmally low.

?Those elections cannot in good conscience be described as elections by any standard; it is merely a coronation of those selected by the Governors? from within their Parties.

?While commending INEC for stating the obvious, INEC itself is still behaving below expectation in the way it handles elections. The process is always flawed and compromised to favour the ruling party because electoral laws are always compromised or sometimes put in total abeyance, at least as observed in off-season elections conducted recently.?

Kettle can?t call pot black ? Peretei

Former Publicity Secretary of Ondo State PDP, Hon. Kennedy Peretei, said: ?As much as INEC?s verdict is right, they should remove the log in their eyes before trying to remove the mole in their neighbour?s eyes. The kettle does not have any moral authority to call the pot black.?

INEC under Yakubu failed Nigeria despite tech investments ? ADC

Reacting, the ADC criticised the INEC for what it described as the declining quality of elections in Nigeria, despite major investments in electoral technology.

The party accused INEC Chairman, Yakubu, of failing to deliver credible elections during his tenure, saying public trust in the electoral process has worsened under his leadership.

ADC Interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, told Vanguard: ?We agree with him (Yakubu). But the real conversation is not just about local government elections; it is about the quality of our elections generally. Unfortunately, the INEC Chairman?s time is up. But if you ask most Nigerians, they will tell you that the quality of our elections has been increasingly worse under his leadership despite investments in technology.?

Abdullahi said the debate should go beyond local elections and address the overall state of Nigeria?s electoral system. ?The real issue is the integrity of our elections at all levels,? Abdullahi added, calling for a full reform of Nigeria?s electoral system to rebuild public confidence.

Lagos APC calls for collaboration

On its part, the Lagos State chapter of the APC, which reaped bountifully from the July 12 LG polls, said it has taken note of Yakubu?s comments and said it is committed to strengthening democratic institutions and processes at all levels.

Lagos APC Spokesperson, Mogaji Seye Oladejo, said: ?We must also emphasize that the conduct of local government elections falls under the purview of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), whose independence, capacity, and impartiality vary widely across the country. We agree that this fragmented structure often leads to inconsistencies in the administration and outcomes of these elections. The APC believes that reform is necessary and timely. We call for a national conversation involving political parties, the National Assembly, INEC, SIECs, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to explore ways of improving the credibility, transparency, and fairness of local government elections. This may include granting INEC more supervisory or coordinating powers over the process, enhancing the autonomy of SIECs, and ensuring a level playing field for all contestants.?

Fouad Oki, a chieftain of Lagos APC said the INEC needs to work with political parties on this and there is a need for synergy between the two in order to win the trust of the electorate.

Fadojoe calls for urgent reforms

A former presidential aspirant under the Labour Party, Faduri Joseph, popularly known as Fadojoe, lamented what he described as the ?complete erosion of democracy? at the local government level in Nigeria, saying the country?s foundational tier of governance has been reduced to a tool of state control and political manipulation.

Fadojoe said local government elections across the country have become a ?stage-managed affair? where candidates are handpicked, opposition voices are stifled, and voters are mere spectators in a process that has lost all credibility.?

He called for the establishment of independent local electoral commissions, free from the influence of state governors, and a constitutional amendment to grant full financial and administrative autonomy to local government councils. The current system, where State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) are under the thumb of state executives, is a mockery of democracy.?

No excitement in LG polls ? Tanko

According to Dr. Tanko Yunusa of the Obidient Movement, the Local Government is actually the grassroots governance, which has to be really enhanced and elections should be made free, fair and justifiable.

However, he lamented that council polls are now heavily manipulated, and canvassed that ?INEC should conduct the Local Government elections for fairness, equity and justice, so that many political parties can be part of that electoral building block at the Local Government.

?That way, you could have most of the problems that we have such as issues of insecurity, proper dissemination of funding, assimilation and grassroots building, should also be disseminated directly to those in positions of power in the Local Government.

?There is no excitement in Local Government elections, and it ought to be the first point of excitement, where people would come out en mass and vote for credible candidates of their choice. Unfortunately, in our own case in Nigeria, it?s the winner takes all syndrome,? he added.

Bayelsa APC, Omare, Ambakederimo speak

The APC in Bayelsa State threw its weight behind Yakubu?s declaration that the quality of local government elections in the country is still very low.

The party through its state Publicity Secretary, Doifie Buokoribo said: ?We agree with INEC on the quality of Local Government elections in Nigeria. There?s need for improvement. INEC itself needs to improve on its own elections. Free and fair elections are part of the rights of citizenship, not dubious luxuries.?

Also speaking, the immediate past chairman of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, worldwide, Eric Omare said: ?I agree with INEC that the quality of local government elections is nothing to write home about. However, I hasten to add that, if care is not taken, INEC conducted elections may also degenerate to that level soon with the renewed impunity with which elections are conducted.?

In his remarks, Elder Joseph Ambakederimo, Convener, South South Reawakening Group, said: ?Certainly, talking about the quality of local government elections in the country is anything but a charade.?

INEC should conduct LG elections ? Shinkafi

A chieftain of the APC in Zamfara State, Suleiman Shuaibu Shinkafi, called for the immediate transfer of responsibility for conducting local government elections from SIECs to the INEC, insisting that such a move is necessary to restore fairness, justice, and transparency at the grassroots level. He called for amendment of the constitution to empower the INEC to oversee local elections, as part of broader electoral reforms.

Osun, Oyo, Ondo APC speak

Wole Adunola, Osun APC Publicity Secretary said that ?election in local government council has become a contentious issue due to the way and manner ruling parties win all councillor and chairmanship positions across party line. I believe that one of the ways to liberate that tier of government is to make autonomy work in totality.?

In his reaction, the Oyo State Secretary of the APC, Mr. Wale Shadare said, ?The submission by INEC has been a subject of debate by political watchers for quite some time. Going by our experience in the hand of Gov. Seyi Makinde in 2024, there is nothing like the smooth conduct of local government elections in most of the states and this has to be looked into by all concerned.?

And Oyo APC chairman, Alhaji Olaide Abass said that ?the assertion by INEC highlights a critical issue that we can no longer afford to overlook. The integrity of local government elections is fundamental to our democracy and the overall governance of our communities. It is disheartening to see that the very foundation of grassroots leadership is compromised, undermining the trust of the electorate.?

Also, Ondo APC Director of Media and Publicity, Hon. Steve Otaloro, said: ?While I understand INEC?s concerns about the quality of local government elections in the country, it?s important to recognize that INEC itself has faced criticism regarding its conduct of national elections. Many Nigerians feel that the elections did not meet expectations, raising questions about the integrity and transparency of the electoral process at all levels.? (Courtesy of Vanguard)

Update news