From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
The 36 State Governors in Nigeria have been urged to stop playing the role of emperors who will determine when Local Government Council elections will be held in their states.
The Director of Programmes, of, Yiaga Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu said this in Kaduna at an advocacy roundtable on legislative reform for improved local government elections in Kaduna State
According to her, LG Council Chairmen should be elected according to the operating State Election Law just like the Governors were elected in line with the stipulated law.
She however expressed dismay that some governors conduct LG elections when they deem it necessary.
Cynthia Mbamalu also advised that Local government administration in Nigeria must be more transparent and open to scrutiny.
According to Mbamalu, transparency in local government administration would enable citizens to demand accountability in everyday governance and at election time effectively.
She added that civil society organizations such as human and socio-economic rights groups should help develop robust accountability processes/mechanisms and play watchdog roles.
In collaboration with local government bodies, Mbamalu said, civil society organizations should educate and sensitize citizens on the responsibilities of elected local government officials and citizens’ role in local governance.
She explained that such education/sensitization programs should also reorient the electorate toward making demands for collective or community goods rather than personalized demands on elected local leaders.
Speaking further, the director said besides, the composition, finance, and functions of local government councils, it should be prescribed by act of the National Assembly.
“Matters such as the creation of local government may be left to states subject to minimum criteria as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.
“These measures will minimize the manipulation of local governments by the executive and legislative organs of the state government.
”Lack of accountability and undue interference by state governors and legislators inhibits the responsiveness of local councils to their communities and people,” Mbamalu said.
Speaking further, she noted a rapidly increasing technology deployment in the Nigerian electoral process to enhance accountability and integrity.
Mbamalu, however, said the experience of adjustment to the use of modern technology in electoral systems is still mainly limited to the national level.
She, therefore, called for future electoral reforms to address the use of technology to run LG elections, as was the case in Kaduna State.
According to Mbamalu, this could make the processes and outcomes of elections less cumbersome for the state independent electoral commissions.
Also, she said the CSOs in Nigeria were increasingly acknowledged as watchdogs, maintaining vigilance over the electoral process.
She acknowledged that the CSO’s monitoring ensures that election activities are transparent and actively engaged in advocacy for electoral reform.
Mbamalu said that very few were interested in reforming the structures and processes of LG elections.
“Even where there is interest, they lack the necessary capacity.
”This warrants the design of systematic capacity-building programs.
”However, to be knowledge-driven, effective, and impactful, civil society actors must be sensitized, mobilized, trained, and adequately
equipped with the necessary tools to engage actively,” she said.
Mbamalu explained that the engagement would examine the state of local government elections in Nigeria, beginning with the legal and institutional framework.
She added that attention is drawn to the trends in local government elections, the challenges identified, and critical recommendations for improving the quality of local government elections in Nigeria.
Earlier in a welcome address, Dr Asmau Maikudi, a member of Yiaga Africa Working Group, described the local government system as a core institution in Nigeria’s governing structure.
According to her, how an electoral system operates goes a long way in determining the degree of public confidence and support for the democratic system.
Maikudi expressed dismay that under some conditions, the local government cannot claim legitimacy.
She lamented that the seeming failure of the legitimacy test by the local governments in Nigeria raises questions about the democratic credentials of the LGAs.
”And even their claim of being democratically elected despite the Constitutional provisions that guarantee democratically elected local governments.
“Local government elections, among other things, are expected to confer legitimacy and create a conducive environment for accountable and effective local government in Nigeria,” Maikudi said.
Also, the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Dr Abdulkadir Meyere acknowledged the contributions of Yiaga Africa to democracy.
Meyere, represented by Mr Ibrahim Sambo, said that the Kaduna State Government was the first to use electronic voting in LGA elections.
He restated the state government’s commitment to upholding the tenets of democracy.
