The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has canvassed for financial autonomy for States Independent Electoral Commissions, SIECs, saying they cannot be truly independent if they have to depend on the magnanimity of state chief executives to discharge their mandates.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the call during a meeting of the commission with the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria, FOSIECON, in Abuja Thursday.
Yakubu urged the SIECs to ensure timely conduct of free and credible councils’ elections across the country.
He said: “”here is a special relationship between INEC and SIEC. We are both creations of same section of the constitution but we are saddled with different responsibilities.
”We provide register of political parties and voters to SIEC when they want to conduct council elections and we also share same facilities like ballot boxes.
“The independence of an electoral commission cannot be guaranteed where there is no financial independence. We will work together with you to ensure financial independence for SIEC to help in the credible conduct of elections.”
Yakubu also advocated newer laws which will regulate the conduct of local council polls in the states, asking that such laws should be largely drawn from the nation’s electoral legal framework.
Chairman of the Forum, Justice Igbozuruike Akomas, who commended INEC for the peaceful conduct of the 2019 general elections, said the forum’s visit to the commission was to facilitate the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, it had with INEC during its visit last year.
