The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally warned State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) that announcing local government elections with only 21 days’ notice violates the Electoral Act 2022 and existing Supreme Court rulings.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, issued the caution during a meeting in Abuja with the leadership of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON).
He stressed that insufficient advance notice undermines electoral credibility and legal integrity, particularly highlighting that while INEC doesn’t directly conduct LG polls, it is legally required to provide SIECs with the voters’ register, list of polling units, and the list of registered political parties.
“While both INEC and SIEC are creations of the Constitution, some responsibilities for electoral activities are actually exclusively those of INEC. For example, voter registration is the exclusive responsibility of INEC… We also create and allot voters to polling units, and we make these polling units available to the state electoral commissions.”
Yakubu emphasised that INEC has never withheld these resources and will continue to deliver them promptly:
“No State Independent Electoral Commission has ever been denied the voters register, the list of polling units, or the list of political parties for elections. We have always discharged this responsibility promptly, and will continue to do so.”
Citing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as a model, he noted that INEC had released its local election timetable over a year in advance, without reliance on caretaker committees:
“For instance, the next area council election in the FCT takes place in February next year. But early this year, we released the timetable and schedule of activities for the election, over 360 days ahead of the election as provided by law.”
Yakubu made clear that issuing only 21 days’ notice “…contravenes the judgment of the Supreme Court. It is also a practical problem. Within 21 days, how do you expect political parties to conduct primaries, nominate candidates, organize campaign, and for the electoral commission to conduct voter education, recruit and train ad‑hoc staff, manage logistics, and organize security for the election? It’s practically impossible to do that within 21 days.”
Meanwhile, FOSIECON Chairman and Head of the Kogi SIEC, Mamman Nda Eri, called for increased financial autonomy for SIECs and asked INEC for guidance on aligning state electoral laws with national standards, especially after the Supreme Court’s recent timeline ruling.
