The State Independent Electoral Commissions in Nigeria: a Study of Bauchi, Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Lagos and Plateau States
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The State Independent Electoral Commissions in Nigeria: A Study of Bauchi, Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Lagos and Plateau States Edited by Massoud Omar 0 Contributors Musa Abutudu Associate Professor, Department of Political Science. University of Benin. Edo State, Nigeria. Chijioke K. Iwuamadi Research Fellow, Institute for Development Studies University of Nigeria. Enugu State, Nigeria. Massoud Omar Department of Local Government Studies Ahmadu Bello University. Zaria, Kaduna State. F. Adeleke Faculty of Law, Lagos State University. Lagos State, Nigeria. Habu Galadima Department of Political Science, Bayero University, P.M.B. 3011, Kano-Nigeria Dung Pam Sha Department of Political Science, 1 University of Jos. Plateau State. 2 Table of Contents Introduction 4-10 Chapter I Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission Habu Galadima and Aisha Omar 7-61 Chapter II The Edo State Independent Electoral Commission Musa Abutudu 62-97 Chapter III The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) Chijioke K. Iwuamadi 98- 135 Chapter IV The Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission Massoud Omar 136-159 Chapter V Lagos State State Independent Electoral Commission in F.A.R Adeleke 156-191 Chapter VI The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission: Dung Pam Sha 192-240 Conclusion 241-242 3 List of Tables and Figures Table 1.1 State of Residence Table 1.2 Local Government Area Table 1.3 Gender Table 1.4 Age Table 1.5 Marital Status Table 1.6 Occupation Table 1.7 Awareness of SIEC’s conduct of Local Government Elections Table 1.8 Number of times Respondents Witness Elections Conducted by SIEC Table 1.9 Adequate Preparations for Elections by SIEC Table 1.10: Adequate Information about Voting Table 1.11: Training of SIEC officials Table 1.12: Information about the Location of Polling Stations Table 1.13: Problems Encountered in the Process of Exercising Franchise Table 1.14: The Most Important Problem Table 1.15: Improvement in the Way SIEC Conducted Elections Since 1999 Table 1.16: Areas That SIEC Has Made Some Progress Table 1.17: Areas That SIEC Has Made Some Progress Table 1.18: Areas That SIEC Has Made Some Progress Table 1.19: Areas That SIEC Has Made Some Progress Table 1.20: Areas That SIEC Has Made Some Progress Table 1.21: Commitment to Conduct of Credible Elections by SIEC Table 1.22: The procedure for the Appointment and Removal of the Electoral Commissioners Table 1.23: Acceptability of the Voter Registration Exercise Table 1.24: Free and Fair Local Government Elections Table 1.25: Transparency in the Conduct of Local Government Elections Table 1.26: Inclusion and Representation of Diverse Groups and Interests at Elections Table1.27: Adequacy of the Electoral Law in Managing Diversity at Local Government Elections Table 1.28: Overall Performance of the Electoral Commission (SIEC) Table 1.29: Role of Security Forces Table 1.30: Local Government Election Disputes Resolution Table 1.31: The process of the Appointment and Removal of SIEC’s Electoral Commissioners Table 1.32 Advertising the Position of SIEC’s Electoral Commissioners Table 1.33:Relative Autonomy of SIEC 4 Table 2.1. Local Government Chairmen Declared Elected by EDSIEC in the December 15, 2007 Election in Edo State Table 2.2 Are you aware that SIEC conduct’s Local Government Elections? Table 2.3: How many times have you witnessed local government elections conducted by SIEC? Table 2.4: Do you believe that SIEC makes adequate preparations for elections? Table 2.5: Do you feel that you were adequately informed about how you can vote? Table 2.6: Do you think that SIEC officials are adequately trained? Table 2.7: Do you think that SIEC provided enough information about the location of polling stations in your locality? Table 2.8: Of all the issues you mentioned in Table 13, which one do you consider the most important problem? Table 2.9: Challenges to LG Elections: (Summary of Views from Personal Interviews and FGDs) Table 2.10:The State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) is independent and fully committed to conduct of credible elections Table 2.11: The procedure for the appointment and removal of the electoral commissioners is open, transparent and credible Table 2.12: The voter registration exercise is generally credible and accepted by all as being transparent and well conducted Table 2.13:Local government elections are considered to be free and fair Table3.1:Senatorial zones in Imo State and their Local Governments Table3.2:Past and Present Leaders of Imo State (1976 – Date) Table 3.3: Distribution of Statutory Allocation of Imo State 27 Local Government Councils, April 2011 – June 2012. Table 3.4: How many times have you witnessed local government elections conducted by SIEC? Table3.5: Do you believe that SIEC makes adequate preparations for elections? Table 3.6: The State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) is independent and fully committed to conduct credible elections? Table 3.7: The procedure for the appointment and removal of the electoral commissioners is open, transparent and credible Table 3.8: The electoral system promotes inclusion and representativeness of diverse groups and interests at elections Table 3.9: The electoral law is adequate for managing diversity at local government elections Table 3.10: The process of the appointment and removal of SIEC’s electoral commissioners should be handled by an independent non-partisan body Table 3.11: The position of SIEC’s electoral commissioners should be advertised and competed for nationally Table 3.12a: The state independent electoral commission (SIEC) should enjoy relative autonomy in terms of political, administrative and financial independence Table 3.12b: The state independent electoral commission (SIEC) should enjoy relative autonomy in terms of political, administrative and financial independence Table 3.13: Of all the issues you mentioned which one do you consider the most important problem? Table 3.14: Local government elections are considered to be free and fair 5 Table 3.15: Local government elections are considered to be generally transparent Table 3.16: Local government election disputes are usually well managed to the satisfaction of the political parties Table 3.17: The overall performance of the electoral commission (SIEC) is considered to be very good Table 3.18: Security forces are fair and non-partisan in their role in the local government electoral process Table 3.19: Do you feel that you were adequately informed about how you can vote? Table 3.20: Do you think that SIEC officials are adequately trained? Table 4.1: Are you aware that SIEC conduct’s Local Government Elections? Table 4.2: How many times have you witnessed local government elections conducted by SIEC? Table 4.3: Do you believe that SIEC makes adequate preparations for elections? Table 4.4: How many times have you witnessed local government elections? Table 4.5: If believe that adequate preparations are made for the local government elections, why do you think so? Table 4.6: If you answer is no, in which areas did you observe poor preparations? Table 4.7: If you answer is no, in which areas did you observe poor preparations? Table 4.8: If you answer is no, in which areas did you observe poor preparations? Table 4.9: If you answer is no, in which areas did you observe poor preparations? Table 4.10: Do you feel that you were adequately informed about how you can vote? Figure 5.1: Gender of the Respondents Figure 5.2: Age of Respondents Figure 5.3: Occupation of Respodents Figure 5.4: LASIEC is independent and committed to credible elections Figure 5.5: Is the procedure for appointment and removal of EC, transparent, credible and open? Figure 5.6: Should the EC’s appointment and removal be handled by an Independent and non- partisan body? Figure 5.7: ECs position should be advertised and competed nationally? Figure 5.8: Elections are considered free and fair, transparent Figure 5.9: SIEC performance is considered very good Figure 5.10: Security forces are considered fair and non-partisan in their role Figure 5.11: LG Elections petitions disputes are well managed Table 6.1: Distribution of questionnaires Table 6.2: Distribution of Respondents in the FGDs Table 6.3: Distribution of Respondents in the Interviews 6 Chart 6.1: Frequencies showing the Distribution of Questionnaires in sampled LGAs Graph 6.1: - Gender Distribution of Respondents Chart 6.2: Qualification of Respondents Graph 6.2: Marital Status of Respondents Graph 6.3: Occupations of Respondents Table 6.4: SIECs Conduct of Elections Chart 6.3: Times Respondents Witnessed Elections Table 6.5: SIECs Preparation for Election Table 6.6: Positive Perception on SIECs Preparation for Elections Graph 6.4: Negative Perception of SIECs Preparation for Elections Chart 6.4: Training of SIECs Table 6.7: SIEC Provision of Information on Polling Stations Table 6.8: SIEC Provision of Information on Voting Graph 6.5: Respondents Problems in the exercising Franchise Table 6.9: Exercising Franchise Table 6.10: What problems did you encounter in the process of exercising your franchise? Cross tabulation Graph 6.6: Of all the problems you encountered in the process of exercising your franchise which one do you consider the most important problem? Table 6.11: Perception on Improvements in SIEC's conduct of elections Graph 6.7: In which areas would you say that SIEC has made some progress? Chart 6.5: The State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) is independent and fully committed to conduct of credible elections Table 6.12: The State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC)