CPC said SIECs lacked transparency and acceptability, pointing out that abolishing them would promote peace as well as the growth of democracy.
Shuaibu who spoke in an interview with Vanguard in Minna, said the SIECs had proved to be stooges to their respective state governors and therefore had no other alternative than to dance to their tunes.
“I don’t believe in state Electoral Commission. I believe that local government elections should be conducted by INEC,” he added.
According to him, despite the anomalies recorded against INEC in the previous elections, it was still better than SIECs and should therefore, be allowed to conduct the local government elections.
“By all standards, INEC is better than SIEC. Tell me how we are going to be fair when the chairmen of electoral body and their staff are appointed by the government in power, which is the ruling party.
No doubt, there is rigging at the national level too but it is not as glaring as it is at the state level. So, INEC should be made to conduct local government elections for transparency and acceptability,” Shuaibu added.
On 2015 elections, the CPC chairman assured that it would not be business as usual for any intending rigger or their collaborators adding that the electorate were now wiser on how to defend their votes.
“Let me tell you, that more than ever before we are going to defend our votes because that is our life and that is the only option left for us; otherwise we will not survive.”
