Focus on party primaries, LG elections, INEC urges CSOs

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has called on Civil Society Organisations to intensify their scrutiny of political party primaries and local government elections in Nigeria.

Addressing a coalition of CSOs led by Yinusa Ya’u at INEC’s headquarters on Wednesday, Yakubu emphasised the critical role of party primaries in shaping the quality of elected officials. He also highlighted the need for greater oversight of local government elections managed by State Independent Electoral Commissions.

While commending the contributions of civil society to the democratic process, Yakubu pointed out a gap in their engagement with local elections. He noted that while civil society has been instrumental in improving the quality of elections, local government elections, often dominated by SIECs, do not receive enough attention.

“No matter what INEC does, if other actors are not ready to play by the rules or in sync, we will continue to face challenges,” Yakubu stated.

He stressed that flawed party primaries negatively affect the entire electoral process, as citizens can only vote for the candidates presented by political parties.

Yakubu also encouraged CSOs to offer constructive criticism to help improve the electoral system. He urged for a comprehensive approach to election monitoring, focusing on all components of the process.

“Take the conduct of party primaries, for instance. Political parties conduct primaries, and INEC conducts the secondary elections. The most important process is the primaries conducted by political parties, as it is their candidates that we put on the ballot. Citizens can only choose from the candidates presented by political parties.”

He added: “Elections at the local government level are conducted by SIECs, and they declare all ruling party candidates as winners. Yet, we don’t hear anything from civil society.”

In response, Mr Yinusa Z. Ya’u, representing the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, affirmed the coalition’s commitment to democracy and electoral integrity. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to mobilise citizens for Permanent Voter Card collection and to promote peaceful elections in Edo State.