LG Elections; a travesty of democratic elections.
At Yiaga Africa, we have been closely observing local government elections over the past month, and our commitment to strengthening grassroots democracy remains relentless. Sadly, what we have seen so far can only be described as a distortion of democratic principles. These elections have fallen woefully short of the integrity we expect, leaving a deep strain on voters’ trust in their most immediate form of governance. As the closest layer of government, local elections should be a beacon of democracy, yet they continue to erode faith in the system.
By the end of October, we will be releasing a comprehensive report highlighting these disturbing trends, using insights from our deployed Local Government Election Index Tool. At least five more elections will be observed by then, and our findings will provide a critical assessment of the state of local governance.
For Nigeria to truly benefit from the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy, we must ensure that ongoing electoral reforms are extended to these elections. It’s time to free the lSIECs from the firm grip of state governors and restore their autonomy.
As more local government elections approach, we call on the executive to refrain from interfering with SIEC operations. SIECs must assert their partial constitutional independence to conduct credible elections, while strict adherence to established guidelines will be key to safeguarding the integrity of these processes.
LGElectionReformNG
