The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yusuf Dantalle, has called for the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), arguing that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be solely responsible for conducting elections at all levels of government in Nigeria.
Dantalle made the call on Friday during an interview with journalists, describing the proposal as a key recommendation submitted by IPAC to INEC as part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s electoral system.
“Many recommendations have been put forward by Nigerians. However, one of the major recommendations of the Inter-Party Advisory Council is the scrapping of the State Independent Electoral Commissions so that INEC can conduct elections at all levels,” Dantalle said.
He cited the recent council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which were conducted by INEC, as an example of relatively fair competition, noting that no single political party dominated the outcome.
“In elections conducted by INEC, such as the FCT council polls, no political party takes it all. But in elections conducted by SIECs at the state level, the sitting governor often determines who becomes what. There is effectively no contest, and this must change,” he said.
According to the IPAC chairman, the lack of credible local government elections has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges, as citizens are routinely denied the opportunity to elect leaders they genuinely know and trust at the grassroots level.
“Nigerians are often not allowed to vote for the people they truly want at the councillorship and local government chairmanship levels. This denies democracy its meaning and weakens governance at the grassroots,” he added.
Dantalle stressed that reforming the electoral process is critical to deepening democracy and called on all stakeholders to unite in improving Nigeria’s democratic space.
“This must change. It is an appeal to all of us to come together and make Nigeria’s democratic space stronger and more credible,” he said.
While acknowledging that there are “bad elements” within INEC, Dantalle maintained that this does not diminish the institution’s overall importance or impact.
“We have consistently urged INEC to identify and fish out officials found wanting in electoral malpractices and ensure they are prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he stated.
He also called on the National Assembly to urgently consider and act on the wide-ranging recommendations and proposals submitted by stakeholders regarding amendments to the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
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