Some stakeholders in politics on Tuesday recommended an overhaul of local government electoral process to enable it deliver transparent election for the third tier of government.
They said that enhancing the quality of local government elections was the antidote to making that tier more relevant in the nation’s democratic system.
They spoke at a validation meeting organised by a consortium of the NGOs on Tuesday in Abuja.
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Mr Paul James, Programme Manager Election, Yiaga Africa, an NGO, said it was important for stakeholders to fashion ways to improve the local government electoral system.
Prof. Remi Aiyede, a lecturer from the University of Ibadan, emphasised the importance of local government elections in promoting democratic governance at the local level.
“Elections represent the cornerstone of democracy, allowing citizens to participate in the political leadership selection process and shaping the direction of their societies is very imperative.”
Mr Samson Itodo, Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, stressed the need for a comprehensive electoral support effort to leverage systematic assessment of local government elections.
“We need to benchmark local government elections against standards and pay more attention to them,” he said.
According to him, local government elections are crucial for democracy and citizen participation in local governance.
“We don’t believe that State Independent Electoral Commissions should be scrapped, but rather strengthened, with operational independence guaranteed in the Constitution.”
He emphasized the need for financial independence of electoral commissions, saying, this is the only way we can maximise the utility of the effort and have consequential agreements to the Constitution.
“We need to channel our energy and focus on local governments because of their value and importance in our democracy.
“We believe that strengthening state electoral commissions, not scrapping them, are key to improving local government elections,” Itodo said.
Mrs Safiya Bichi, Head of Knowledge Management, Yiaga Africa, shared the organisation’s approach to developing the Local Government Election Index.
“We’ve been working closely with indicators to apply to local government elections, and we believe this will enhance the quality of elections.”
“Enhancing local government elections will inspire and build public trust, increase citizen participation, and strengthen democratic institutions,” Bichi said.
She noted that Yiaga Africa’s index aims to providing insights into electoral challenges and solutions.
“This tool is not just for Nigeria, but for other organisations and countries to use,” she said.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by representatives of Civil Society Organisations drawn from 36 states and FCT, representatives of state electoral commissions among others.
