A WHOOPING 90 per cent of recent local government elections across 17 states have failed the credibility test, according to Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) Africa.
Speaking at a book launch in honour of Prof. Nnamdi Aduba in Jos, Plateau State, Mr Itodo decried the irregularities that marred the polls and called for urgent constitutional reforms to strengthen the independence of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).
“Our position in YIAGA Africa has been that 90 per cent of the local government polls conducted in 17 states were not credible. They do not meet the integrity test, and this is because these institutions are not independent; there has been a lot of political interference in their operations,” Mr Itodo stated.
He pointed out that SIECs lack the financial and operational independence needed to deliver credible elections.
“You, however, cannot call for the scrapping of SIECs because the reforms that have taken place in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have not been implemented for SIECs. Their regulations and guidelines are subject to the approval of the governor. These are some of the issues that needed to be addressed if we want credible elections at the local government level,” he added.
The Explainer gathered that Mr Itodo’s remarks were made during the launch of a book titled Building a Virile Nation: Law, Economy, and Good Governance, written in honour of Prof. Nnamdi Aduba, a renowned constitutional law expert and retired professor from the University of Jos.
On increasing INEC budgets, Mr Itodo noted the immense cost of conducting elections in Nigeria and the need for accountability.
“Nigerians need to understand that elections are expensive – on general elections day, each voter will have not less than five ballot papers. It costs a lot to produce them. I think what Nigerians should worry about is the fact that as we spend more money for elections, the quality of our elections is declining. If our politicians aren’t subverting the efforts of INEC toward conducting credible elections just for their personal gains, we won’t be investing so much in technology to ensure every vote counts.”
The Explainer learned that the book launch also celebrated the illustrious career of Prof. Aduba, who dedicated 46 years to academia. Prof. Aduba, now retired, expressed gratitude to the University of Jos and pledged to continue mentoring young Nigerians.
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“I’m retired but not tired. Teaching and research have been part of me; that is what I have been doing in the last 46 years of my life. I started from the University of Maiduguri and moved to the University of Jos 33 years ago. So, I will continue to mentor the young ones, particularly those who are serious about shaping the future of this country for the better,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Explainer gathered that in Ondo State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured 16 out of 18 chairmanship seats in the local government elections conducted on January 18, 2025. The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) Chairman, Joseph Aeemo, announced the results, with rescheduled elections still underway in Ondo West LGA and results from Owo LGA.
