The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has called for the immediate dissolution of the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).
During a press briefing in Abuja, IPAC’s national Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, criticized the SIECs for their incompetence and inability to conduct free, fair, credible, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful elections.
He argued that the state electoral bodies have become mere extensions of various government houses, lacking essential tools like voter registers, BVAS, IReV portals, and ballot boxes necessary for credible polls.
Dantalle cited a statement from INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who described local government elections as mere coronations for ruling party candidates.
IPAC views the existence of SIECs as detrimental to Nigeria’s democracy and advocates for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be empowered to conduct all local government elections in the country.
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The council also emphasized the importance of encouraging citizens to participate in grassroots politics to build a better society.
Additionally, IPAC called for the implementation of the recent Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy and urged local government chairmen to use resources judiciously to address issues facing Nigerians at the grassroots level.