Stakeholders from Imo State convened a town hall meeting in Owerri on Thursday, calling on the Federal Government to establish a separate electoral body to oversee Local Government elections.
The event, organized by SOS Children’s Villages with support from the European Union, was titled “Reflections on the outcomes and learnings of elections in Imo State, for sustainable peace and strengthened democracy in Nigeria.”
During the meeting, participants expressed concerns about the lack of a level playing field in recent local elections across the country.
The traditional ruler of Umuekwure in the Ngor Okpala council area, Eze George Nwosu, voiced his dissatisfaction with the current 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 we cannot punish offenders. So the time has come to rise and do the needful.”
The Chief Imam of Imo State, Sheikh Suleiman Yusuf Njoku, described the situation surrounding the electoral process as “unfortunate,” lamenting that “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 our love for material things. It is what is leading us to the many troubles we are facing. We should think more of how to have reconciliation with our creator.”
The Imo State Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Ichie Levi Ekeh, emphasized the need for accountability in the electoral system, stating, “To improve the system, we ought to hurt some people. In the last election, some electoral offenders were arrested, but how many of them have been 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 local government elections because one party seems to win all positions, and the state electoral body serves the interest of one person. There is no level playing ground.”
A member of the Civil Society Organization, Chimezie Ebosie, called for the formation of a coalition to address these electoral issues.
He stated, “There is a need to create a coalition to achieve this purpose because the way elections are conducted lacks a level playing ground. Additionally, there is a need for members to utilize the Freedom of Information requests to engage their leaders in power. Political parties should step up their game and lead voter education activities.”
The National Director of SOS Children’s Villages, Mr. Eghosa Erhumwunse, represented by David Tochukwu Gabriel, Custodian Manager of SOS Children’s Villages, highlighted the achievements of the meeting, noting, “The need for voter education and at the same time establishing linkages for these stakeholders to work together to improve future elections.”
Representatives from the electoral bodies, including Ben-Opara Emmanuel, head of Voter Education at the Independent National Electoral Commission, and Okechukwu Egwumba from the Voter Education and Publicity Department of the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission also attended. They stressed the importance of collaboration with stakeholders to enhance future elections and promote voter education.
