FOSIECON Conference Calls for SIECs' Autonomy and Electoral Reforms

The Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) has issued a communique at its 13th National Delegates' Conference held in Jos, Plateau State, from May 20-23, 2025. The conference, themed "Local Government Elections in Nigeria; Issues, Challenges and Opportunities," brought together chairmen, members, and secretaries of State Independent Electoral Commissions from 27 states.

The conference recommended:

Administrative independence and financial autonomy* for SIECs to strengthen their capacity to deliver on their constitutional mandates.

Regular public engagements with election stakeholders to build confidence in SIECs' ability to organize credible and transparent local government polls.

- *Political parties* should evolve mechanisms for emergence of leadership of proven integrity, while the electorate should review the activities and performance of their representatives for accountability.

Extension of legal and institutional reforms that strengthened INEC's operation to SIECs for optimal performance.

State legislatures should adopt relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 on procedure of conduct of Area Councils Elections to evolve uniformity and certainty in electoral procedures

The conference concluded that SIECs have come to stay and any call for their scrapping is mischievous and anti-Federal Constitution of Nigeria. Despite current challenges, SIECs are poised to serve the grassroots electorate as a viable platform for democratic leadership recruitment at the local government level.