Get Guardian on GoogleThe National Chairman of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON), Chief Jossy Chibundu Eze, has said that the body has the mission to promote efficient election administration in all the 36 states’ Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).
The national chairman, who declared the event open yesterday in Jos, said that she is not unaware that SIECs, in exercising their constitutional rights, have been beleaguered by a plethora of daunting challenges across various political regimes.
She said that, consequently, SIECs are probably one of the most misunderstood, disregarded, criticised, or taunted among other government agencies.
The national chairman observed personally that SIEC is a body which is constitutionally charged with exercising its mandate not to be controlled or take instructions from any other person or authority, adding that the appointers (state governments) see and expect the body to toe their whims and caprices, thereby negating their independence.
She said, “SIECs is a body guaranteed her independence by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) but denied financial autonomy, thus consigning her to beg for funds to execute her mandate and meet other needs.
“SIEC is a body given the authority to make rules and regulations for the due exercise of her mandate, but is denied the administrative power to hire, control, and discipline staff under her.”
SIEC, she stressed, is an apolitical umpire under oath of neutrality in conducting its functions, adding that some political parties turn around to blame it for returning candidates who validly won elections.
The chairman said that periodic local government elections by SIECs to constitute democratically elected chairmen and councillors is the norm.
The host chairman of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), Mr. Plangji Cishak, said that some individuals and organisations have questioned the independence of SIECs in the country and that they be scrapped. He said that scrapping them is unconstitutional.
Cishak added that scrapping them would be catastrophic to the collective aspirations of the people for the creation of strong democratic structures at the grassroots.
He had earlier disclosed that Plateau would be hosting all the SIECs in Nigeria in Jos.
