Governors interfered in LG elections – Yiaga

Yiaga said to improve the local elections, the state electoral commissions must promote civic education, ensure transparency in electoral processes and foster genuine political competition.

Election observation group Yiaga Africa has said governors interfered with local government elections conducted in their respective states.

The group stated this in its report on the recent local government elections conducted across 17 states between July and October.

Surveys conducted by Yiaga revealed that aside from the governors’ interference, there were records of electoral violence, low voter turnout and logistical inefficiencies in the LG polls.

The ruling parties won all the chairmanship seats in the elections conducted by various State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) with two exceptions in Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.

In Akwa Ibom, the ruling PDP won in the 30 LGAs but lost In Essien Udim LGA where Senate President Godswill Akpabio hails from.

Yiaga, in the report, stated that if the challenges continue, it may undermine the effectiveness of the elections.

“Credible elections are essential for reinforcing democracy at the grassroots level and giving (citizens) meaningful voices. However, challenges such as state interference, electoral violence, low voter turnout and logistical inefficiencies undermine the effectiveness of this elections. These systemic issues must be addressed to improve the integrity and credibility of future elections,” the report highlighted.

Way forward

Yiaga said to improve the local elections, the state electoral commissions must promote civic education, ensure transparency in electoral processes and foster genuine political competition.

It also said establishing an index for assessing electoral integrity would serve as a framework for review, monitoring and advocating for improvement.

“To enhance local governance, it is crucial to strengthen State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), promote civic education, ensure transparency in electoral processes and foster genuine political competition. All these issues will improve the credibility of local government elections in Nigeria.

“Additionally, establishing an index for assessing electoral integrity can serve as a framework for peer review, monitoring and advocating for improvements. This will enhance local election integrity.”

The organisation advocated for a renewed commitment to free and fair elections for strengthening democracy and ensuring effective representation of citizens in government.