The Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening grassroots democracy through credible local government elections while calling for urgent legal and institutional reforms to enhance the autonomy of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).
This was the key resolution of the 13th National Delegates’ Conference of FOSIECON held from May 20–23, 2025, in Jos, Plateau State. The conference, which brought together electoral commissioners from 27 states, focused on the theme: “Local Government Elections in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities.”
Declaring the event open, Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, emphasized the importance of credible local government polls in driving development and accountability at the grassroots level.
Keynote speaker, Prof. Samuel Egwu, Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Benue State, set the tone for robust discussions that followed with papers presented by academics and experts, including:
- Assoc. Prof. Mohammed B. Babanumma on SIECs’ independence as a panacea for credible elections,
- Prof. Alphonsus Okoh Alubo SAN on election management and the law,
- Barr. Cynthia Mbamalu of YIAGA Africa on the role of SIECs in grassroots democracy,
- Mr. Martins Oloja of The Guardian on civic competence and voter education.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the conference and signed by FOSIECON National Chairman, Chief Barr. Jossy C. Eze, and National Secretary, Assoc. Prof. Joseph I. Aremo, the forum made the following key recommendations:
- Administrative and financial autonomy for SIECs must be prioritized to empower them to fulfill their constitutional mandates independently.
- Regular stakeholder engagement across all 768 local government areas is essential to build public confidence in the electoral process.
- Political parties must promote credible candidates with proven integrity, while the electorate is urged to hold elected officials accountable.
- Extension of legal reforms that have strengthened INEC should also apply to SIECs to improve efficiency and standardize procedures.
- State legislatures should adopt relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 to bring uniformity to local government election processes.
- Collaborations with CSOs and development partners should be expanded to boost voter education and civic awareness, reaffirming the principle that “all politics is local.”
The forum strongly rejected any calls for the scrapping of SIECs, describing such proposals as unconstitutional and against the principles of federalism. It maintained that, despite existing challenges, SIECs remain a vital institution for democratic governance at the grassroots.
The conference also featured goodwill messages from representatives of Nasarawa State Governor Engr. Abdullahi Sule, Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI), the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC).