By Correspondent in Abuja.
A group of independent observers has commended the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) for what it described as a largely successful conduct of last Saturday’s Local Government Council (LGC) election across the state.
The observers, however, noted that while the exercise represented a positive step forward, there was still room for improvement in future elections.
They also argued that the performance of NSIEC compared favourably with what the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) might have achieved if it had conducted the poll.
Speaking at a post-election briefing, in Minna on Tuesday,the National President of the Forum of Independent Election Observers in Nigeria under the National Council of NGOs and Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria, Dr. Lazarus Nwachukwu, praised NSIEC’s organization of the election despite challenges associated with local council polls in Nigeria.
Responding to questions on reports of voter suppression, intimidation, and harassment allegedly involving stakeholders charged with the responsibility of ensuring good conduct of the exercise, Dr. Nwachukwu said that his team’s role was strictly observational.
“I led the delegation to Niger State, independent observers to observe, not to conduct the election,” he stated.
To ensure effective coverage, Nwachukwu explained that the observer team was divided into three groups, each assigned to one of the state’s senatorial districts,Zones A, B, and C, during the November 1, 2025 LGC election.
He said the delegation held meetings with relevant stakeholders, including security agencies, NSIEC officials, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), and others, to gather firsthand information. A detailed report of their findings, he added, would be released in due course.
The group’s preliminary report commended security agencies for their professionalism during the polls, noting that there were no serious incidents of violence or disruption across the local government areas.
Nwachukwu, supported by the Forum’s Niger State President, Alhaji Abdullahi Al-Hassan, also called for reforms to strengthen the state electoral system, expressing confidence that with the right improvements, state electoral bodies could conduct credible local government elections across the country.
He further lauded all stakeholders — including Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, security agencies, and political actors — for their roles in ensuring a peaceful and successful election process.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
