Chairman, Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), Plangji Cishak, has advocated for a legal framework to strengthen the work of state independent electoral commissions in the country.
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He said that this would put them in Ideal situation to function effectively instead of scrapping them as it’s being suggested in some quarters since the principle of separation of power makes their existence imperative, Cishak’s suggestion came as the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has chosen six State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECS) across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria as models to enhance the credibility of local government elections.
Addressing newsmen on Thursday, the PLASIEC Chairman said that what is required is to bring people of good conscience on board to reinforce the operations of state electoral commissions.
He “As far as Plateau State is concerned, due process will be followed. What the SIEC needs is a legal framework to function, not to scrap it. There was a time when the Independent National Electoral Commissions (INEC) was not the way it is today. It’s is the legal framework that strengthens it. So you don’t throw away the baby with bath water.
‘We are going to change the narrative in this context. His excellency was very emphatic on the credible election, and the State House of Assembly is equally not sleeping in this regard. So we have no excuse but to do what is right. We are here to change the narrative for other states to follow.
“Our desire is to make the local government election in Plateau State an example for others to follow. With this appointment, our integrity is at stake, and we are not going to tarnish our image because of parochial interests. For the election, we have to look at the legal framework, but I can assure you that the local government election will be conducted at the appropriate time without wasting time.”.
He said that the Commission was aware of the security situation in the state, pointed out that the it l would work hand in hand with the security agencies in this regard and adhere to any early warning signals, adding that PLASIEC has commenced immediate action in identifying administrative operational gaps and weaknesses, and developing and implementing policies that would pave the way for free, fair, and credible elections at the grassroots.
As regards conduct of local government polls, Cishak said the goal of the commission under his watch is to establish a level playing field that instills confidence across all political parties in the state.
He said that the commission will respect the multi-party nature of the country and expressed its commitment to ensuring that every Plateau State citizen exercises their democratic right to vote for local leaders of their choice.
Meanwhile Country Director of IFES, Mr. Seray Jay, has said that it has selected six State independent electoral bodies across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria to enhance the credibility of the local government elections.
The states are Plateau, Kaduna, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Gombe, and one state from the east.
Speaking in an interview in Jos, Jay said the six states are being supported through the funding of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) from the UK.
He described local government elections as very crucial because of their closeness to the people, where grassroots development are crucial.
“Having been involved in this process for a while, we, along with our donors and ourselves as IFES, want to see more credibility in the elections, more trust by the voters, more proactive engagement by stakeholders with the Commission, and more political willingness by the governments that oversee the SIECs.
“Achieving these goals would enhance not only the elections but also local development. If people trust the elected officials, they are more likely to believe in them, which could lead to better governance.
“Our position is to support these institutions through technology, technical assistance, capacity building, and training, as well as through promoting gender and inclusion. This approach aims to ensure that they conduct more widely accepted elections, ultimately leading people to consider them nearly perfect.
The Country Director of IFES said that the six states were selected after a carefully political economy analysis was conducted to determine which states would form the best partnerships with IFES and demonstrate willingness.
He added that after analyzing all the states in the country, it was narrowed down to the six states.
He said that the Idea was to build a model of state independent electoral commissions that would be able to administer local government elections effectively and to further serve as an example for other states to emulate and ginger them to conduct free, fair and credible local government elections.
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