Challenges before Ekiti council chairmen

Democracy at the grassroots in Ekiti State has been further consolidated, following the successful conduct of local government elections. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA examines the challenges that will face the 16 council chairmen.

 

THE December 7, 2019 local government election in Ekiti State has come and gone. But, the memories will continue to linger in the consciousness of the stakeholders.

The process was completed with the swearing-in of the elected local government chairmen and vice chairmen by Governor Kayode Fayemi, at the Adetiloye Hall of the State Trade Fair Complex on January 31.

The chairmen in turn had sworn in local government secretaries and councillors in their respective councils for the business of governance to run on full throttle at the grassroots level.

The Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) led by Justice Jubril Babajide Aladejana has been receiving plaudits from far and wide for living up to its promise to conduct a credible, free and fair council election.

But, the biggest credit should go to Governor Fayemi who gave the state electoral body the enabling environment to perform its constitutional duty without undue interference in its affairs.

Justice Aladejana and others commissioners on the board of EKSIEC further asserted and articulated the readiness of the commission to carry out its operations in a way that is different from what the people of the state had witnessed in the past.

The governor in consonance with the Ekiti State House of Assembly also ensured that EKSIEC got the required funds and logistics in good time to prepare for the local government poll.

The non-interference of Mr. Governor and the apparent independence that EKSIEC enjoyed in the state gave many parties the confidence to sponsor chairmanship and councillorship candidates in the poll.

The Governor also restored the immediate past local government chairmen, who are People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members, to their offices to complete their term after they were suspended from office by the last House of Assembly.

Dr. Fayemi at various forums had voiced the independence of the state electoral body which he affirmed was constitutionally vested with the powers to organise and conduct the local government election.

The Governor’s gestures, which bore eloquent testimonies to his democratic credentials, restored confidence in the process and gave a glimmer of hope that the election would be different from the ones held in the past.

Fourteen (14) political parties, including the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) participated in the local government election.

This was a radical departure from the local government elections conducted in 2008, 2015 and 2017 which suffered mass withdrawals by opposition political parties citing the composition of the boards of the then EKSIEC, among other reasons.

The parties then complained that those empanelled on the board of EKSIEC were card-carrying members of the ruling party at the time but the current EKSIEC had people of unquestionable integrity on board.

This gave the state chapter of the PDP the impetus not to leave the field for the APC as it (PDP) nominated candidates in local government areas and wards although it failed to nominate a chairmanship candidate in Ado Ekiti owing to failure to conduct a primary within the time allowed by law.

Unlike the past local government election, that of 2019 raised the political temperature of the state with rallies and campaigns all around the state with parties canvassing for votes within the time allowed by law.

All nooks and crannies of the state were awash with posters, banners miniature boards and billboards of chairmanship and councillorship candidates seeking the mandate of the electorate at the council level.

Party offices at various wards and local government areas were beehives of activities during the primaries as party members filed out to elect candidates of their choice to fly their flags at the December 7 poll.

This time around, Ekiti did not witness a scenario in which primaries for the local government election was conducted inside the Government House as witnessed in the recent past.

Rallies and campaigns gave the parties opportunities to mobilise voters and test their popularity in their various localities. Markets, bus stops, newsstands, palaces and other public places received candidates and their supporters canvassing for votes ahead of the D-day.

It is against this background that the Ekiti local government election is being commended by parties, voters, election monitors, observers and observers that participated.

The most prominent encomium on the Ekiti council poll came from one of the observer groups, the Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC), a coalition of 135 civil society groups and community based organisations (CBOs) which said the election represented the true aspirations and expression of Ekiti people.

According to report signed by its Assistant Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adeleye, the NHRC said local government elections are very important in sustainable development since it has a chain value on the standard of living of people in the rural areas.

The report said NHRC monitored the election in 90 per cent of the polling booths representing over 145 of the 177 wards. The coalition said 160 monitors were deployed apart from 20 other mobile observers who drove across the state.

The group said it also monitored the campaigns of the actors on the political field in the build-up to the election saying the campaigns were devoid of violence and brigandage as seen in local and national elections in many states across Nigeria.

The report read in part: “There is a significant improvement in the ability of states to organize local elections. Ekiti State has proved that. Even though the ruling party in the state won almost all the overall results of the election, there was conscious attempt by SIEC to ensure a free and fair election in the state.”

NHRC said contrary to assumptions that only the Federal Government can conduct free and fair elections, it has been proved that states are not incapable of running their political and electoral affairs.

The group added: “It is true that local government elections have seen violence and chaos in some states, but the outcome of the Ekiti LG election was a clear indication that states have the capacity and potential to conduct peaceful elections perhaps more than the Federal Government.

“Free and fair elections are possible in states. The Ekiti State local government election is a further proof that it is wrong to assume that transparency in the electoral process is not possible with SIECs.

“One is left with the impression that violence and brigandage are easier to perpetrate when external forces are involved. Indigenous people know themselves and are willing to conduct elections in the most peaceful manner.”

While noting that the Ekiti council election met international standards, NHRC said: “Ekiti State local government election conducted on December 07 has again proved that the future of democracy in local communities does not lie in the hands of a garrison system that has no respect for indigenous values and tradition.

“The Ekiti LG election recorded zero violence, if the ruling party was draconian, the people would have resisted. There were no armed men, not armed DSS, not armed militia, the election met international standards. It shows clearly that states can set standards for the FG in electoral matters.”

It is not all praises galore as the report said the LG election was not perfect and pointed out areas that need improvement in the future conduct.

“The political parties need to do more about voter education. There is the need for political parties to show more commitment to mobilising the people for greater involvement in the local government elections.

“We urge political parties to show greater determination for participation in local government elections. Local government administration is more impactful in the lives of indigenous people.

“What Nigeria needs are more inclusive SIECs which are the responsibilities of the State and National Assemblies to enact laws that will ensure that SIECS are more participatory.”

Judging by the experience of the past, very few people believed the EKSIEC Commissioner in charge of Media and Publicity, Chief Soji Oloketuyi, when he said the electoral agency would not write the result of the council poll as the votes of the electorate would count.

Going by the results released by EKSIEC and endorsed by a coalition of civil society groups, the votes of the Ekiti electorate counted at the council polls.

The Land of Honour has set a template for the conduct of the local government elections for other states in the future.

 

• Ogunmola is Special Assistant (Media) to the Ekiti State Deputy Governor.