Opposition Parties Accuse Government of Undermining Democracy

Opposition political parties across the country have accused ruling parties in states and their governors of undermining democracy at the local government level by inaugurating their chairmen and councillors without conducting credible elections.

They described most of, or all, the council elections conducted by the incumbent governors as mere charades and a waste of public funds.

Investigations conducted by LEADERSHIP Sunday across the federation showed that the local government elections were largely the endorsement of candidates of the ruling parties and cronies of the governors that were announced by State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) as winners of the contests that never, or hardly, took place.

According to them, from the planning to the execution stage, the SIECs demonstrated serious biases to make the rival parties and the electoral lose faith in the polls.

In the 2024 local government election in Oyo State, about three million eligible voters, over 4,900 candidates, and 18 political parties were said to have participated in it.

The election took place on Saturday, April 27, 2024 across the 33 local government areas and 351 wards in the state.

Since April 2023 when the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), the statutory body responsible for the conduct of local government elections in the state, rolled out the timetable for the election, political parties and stakeholders were up and about canvassing for the votes of the electorate.

The commission’s chairman, Isiaka Abiola Olagunju repeatedly gave assurances of a free, fair and transparent poll, and a level playing field. With an impressive voter turnout, the pool is expected to be keenly contested and truly represent the will of the people.

After the election, OYSIEC announced the result amidst controversy of irregularities during the voting process, as the ruling policy party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) swept the polls.
However, after the official presentation of the results from all the 33 local government areas where elections took place, there were complaints from some local councils about discrepancies noticed during the electoral process, ranging from lateness of officials and materials to the non-availability of necessary materials in some.

One of the participating political parties, the African Action Congress (AAC) registered its displeasure with the conduct of the poll and called for its cancellation.

The party’s national publicity secretary, Fẹmi Adeyeye, alleged that Oyo State government did not conduct a credible election.

Similarly, the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) described the election as a sham.

The party’s publicity secretary, Wasiu Olawale Sadare, said that if allowed to stand, the election could cause disquiet in the state.

“With what is happening at the moment in most polling units across the state, Governor Seyi Makinde has again disappointed the whole world.

“He promised the people that their votes would count today but the opposite is the case. The good people of the state desired to participate in an election to elect a new set of council officials but what they are experiencing is nothing but a sham.

“Even if OYSIEC comes out later to declare all the candidates of the APC, we would not rate this election as credible and acceptable as it falls below the minimum global standard of election conduct.

The best thing is for the Commission to suspend the exercise and choose another …Doifie Buokoribo, expressed a lack of confidence in BYSIEC, alleging that the commission is composed of PDP members and that a predetermined list of winners was announced post-election. Engr. Udengs Eradiri, the Labour Party’s governorship candidate, criticised the election as undemocratic, citing high-handedness and corrupt practices throughout the electoral process. Comrade David West, a member of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) and a human rights advocate, echoed these sentiments, describing the election as a mere formality to confirm the governor’s candidates. He emphasised that if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had acted similarly, there would have been widespread outrage from Nigerians.

In Delta State, the PDP also dominated the local government elections held on 13 July 2024, winning all 25 chairmanship positions and 499 of the 500 councillorship seats, losing only one to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). The election did not occur in Udu local government area, as the PDP chairmanship candidate was returned unopposed. Multiple parties, including LP and APC, called for a cancellation of the elections, with LP filing a petition citing substantial non-compliance with electoral regulations.

In Benue State, the ruling APC claimed victory in all chairmanship and councillorship positions during the recent local government election, with the chairman of the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission, Richard Tombowua, confirming that the APC won all 23 chairmanship and 276 councillorship seats. Senator Abba Moro criticised the election as a sham and an insult to democracy.

Borno State held its local government elections in January 2024, with the ruling APC winning all chairmanship and councillorship positions in the 27 local government areas. The PDP chairman in Borno, Alhaji Zanna Gaddama, denounced the election as a charade, accusing the ruling party of fabricating results.

In Jigawa State, the local government elections conducted on 5 October 2024, involved 12 political parties, with the APC winning all 27 chairmanship positions and 281 out of 287 councillor seats. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Accord Party won one and four councillor seats, respectively. APC chairman Hon. Aminu Sani Gumel expressed satisfaction with the election’s conduct, describing it as peaceful and fair.

CSOs Take On SIECs

The recent local government elections have raised concerns regarding the integrity of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs). While some civil society organisations (CSOs) advocate for strengthening SIECs, others have called for their complete scrapping.

Ezenwa Nwagu, executive director of Partners for Electoral Reforms, argued for SIECs to be granted political and financial independence, stripping governors of the power to appoint commission members.

He stressed the importance of a collaborative effort among stakeholders to improve local government elections, advocating for reforms rather than the creation of new institutions.

Conversely, Irene Awunah-Ikyegh, president of the League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV), supports the call for the scrapping SIECs, citing their role as instruments of state governors that undermine democratic processes. She expressed disappointment in the continued use of SIECs to impose candidates and highlighted the need for accountability in electoral institutions.

Awunah-Ikyegh criticised INEC’s performance as akin to that of SIECs and called for enhanced advocacy for independence among all electoral bodies to restore public confidence.

She concluded that the ongoing discussions regarding the establishment of a new institution for conducting local government elections are a positive step towards reform.

What do you think about these recent local government elections?