Stakeholders in Imo State called on the Federal Government on Thursday to establish an independent electoral body dedicated to overseeing local government elections, raising concerns about the lack of fair play in recent local elections.
The call was made at a town hall meeting in Owerri, organized by SOS Children’s Villages with European Union support, under the theme, “Reflections on the outcomes and learnings of elections in Imo state, for sustainable peace and strengthened Democracy in Nigeria.”
The traditional ruler of Umuekwure in Ngor Okpala, Eze George Nwosu, voiced concerns over weakened electoral institutions, stating, “There is need to reform institutions in Nigeria, and give them teeth to bite.
“There is a need to strengthen our institutions, like the electoral bodies, so that nobody can toy with it. It is because of weak institutions that is while we cannot punish offenders. So the time has come to rise and do the needful.”
Imo State’s Chief Imam, Sheikh Suleiman Yusuf Njoku, expressed disappointment in the country’s electoral practices, saying, “Nigeria today is not the Nigeria we used to know. The society helps the politicians to commit a lot of atrocities.
“We have been talking about democracy, let us reduce love for material things. It is what is leading us to the many troubles we are into. We should think more of how to have reconciliation with our creator.”
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Chairman in Imo, Ichie Levi Ekeh, also supported calls for change, saying, “To improve the system, we ought to hurt some people. In the last election, some electoral offenders were arrested up till now how many of them were prosecuted? We need to go back to the grassroots.
“Also, there is a need to stop neglecting the guidelines of the elections, especially by the state electoral body. Again, there is a need for the federal government to create a different body to conduct the local government elections because of the manner one party wins all positions and the state electoral body serves the interest of one person. No level playing ground.”
Civil Society Organization member, Chimezie Ebosie, suggested a coalition for electoral reform, advocating for the use of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to hold leaders accountable and urging political parties to enhance voter education.
The National Director of SOS Children’s Villages, represented by David Tochukwu Gabriel, highlighted achievements of the meeting, such as fostering voter education and establishing partnerships among stakeholders to improve future elections.
Representatives from both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) also attended, discussing the importance of working with stakeholders to enhance voter education and promote fair elections in the future.