The Accord Party in Lagos State has called for the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), including the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), following its dissatisfaction with the conduct of Saturday’s local government elections in the state.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, the Lagos State Chairman of Accord, Dele Oladeji, said the elections were marred by irregularities and disenfranchisement of opposition candidates. He argued that the lack of independence of state electoral bodies undermines democracy and fosters voter apathy.

“State Electoral Commissions are not in any way independent. LASIEC is an example,” Oladeji said. “If we really want true democracy at the grassroots, there is a need for INEC to take over the conduct of state elections.”
He criticised the conduct of the July 12 election, describing it as poorly organised and lacking credibility.

According to him, many opposition candidates were disenfranchised, and the commission’s preparations were inadequate.

“The election cannot in any way be said to be free and fair, and the fault is mainly from the electoral commission,” he said. “When you have candidates properly nominated by a political party but disenfranchised by the umpire, and others unsure of being on the ballot until election day, we cannot call that credible.”

Oladeji also dismissed concerns that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be overstretched if it were to take on the responsibility of conducting local council elections. He argued that INEC, with its evolving systems and experience, is better suited to deliver transparent and credible elections at all levels.

“INEC can effectively and efficiently run local government elections, just as they run state and national elections,” he added.

While acknowledging that INEC is not without its flaws, the Accord Party chairman said entrusting the commission with council polls would improve public confidence and encourage greater participation.

He urged LASIEC to study INEC’s processes and adopt more transparent and efficient electoral practices. “LASIEC needs to borrow a leaf from INEC for efficiency and transparency,” he said.

Fifteen political parties participated in the local government elections conducted by LASIEC across Lagos State on Saturday.