Governors won’t support scrapping of state electoral commissions – Sule
Attempt to scrap state electoral commissions will not receive the backing of any governor in the country, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, has said.
Abolishing SIECs is not a solution, and we will not support it. The same problems SIECs face—interference, funding constraints—are present at the national level,” the governor said while addressing the 13th National Delegates Conference of the Forum of Independent Electoral Commissions (FOSIECON) in Jos, Plateau State.
According to him, there’s need for reforms to strengthen the capacity of the commissions rather than abolish them.
He therefore dismissed the plan as “misplaced”, saying that from his six years experience as governor, interference and underfunding are the two biggest obstacles hindering the commissions from performing effectively.
Governor Sule believes that those pushing for the scrapping of the SIECs are doing so not in the national interest but for political control.
“It’s not about improving democracy. It’s about control—control doesn’t build democracy or development. What we need are visionary leaders who serve with integrity.”
He challenged the conference to generate practical solutions to strengthen state electoral commissions, saying “governors will gladly support the solutions you recommend”.
On local government financial autonomy, the Nasarawa governor denied that governors are withholding local councils funds, saying most of the councils are underfunded and depend on state governments for support.
Earlier, FOSIECON Chairman Jossy Chibunde Eze called for constitutional respect, greater independence, and financial autonomy for SIECs, accusing governors of putting undue pressure on the commissions.
“SIECs are constitutionally empowered to operate independently but often face political interference due to financial dependence,” Eze said.
