By Correspondent in Minna.
Lawyers representing opposition parties in the recently conducted Local Government Council (LGC) elections in Niger State have accused the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) of refusing to release Certified True Copies (CTCs) of election documents necessary for filing petitions.
The November 1, 2025, LGC elections were reportedly marred by various irregularities, including ballot box snatching, destruction of electoral materials, arrests of opposition supporters, diversion of materials among other anomalies.
They however expressed concern that despite the complaints trailing the conduct of the election,results from the affected areas where shortcomings detected were declared.
The administration led by Governor Mohammed Umar Bago has also faced allegations of adopting an exclusionary approach by “crushing, grabbing, snatching, and running away with victory” against the wishes of voters. Some stakeholders further accused the state of religious bias, alleging that all candidates backed by the government belonged to a single faith.
Mr. Emmanuel Egbonoje, counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairmanship candidate in Rijau LGC, Umar Buda Abubakar, expressed frustration over NSIEC’s alleged refusal to grant access to vital election documents.
“NSIEC has refused to release the certified true copies of the election materials needed to enable us to file petitions,” Egbonoje said in an interview with journalists in Minna.
According to him, a formal request for the documents was sent to the commission on November 11, ten days after the election yet they have met repeated delays.
“They [NSIEC] have either claimed security reasons or simply said the documents were not yet available,” he said. “Now, we are running out of time as the tribunal has strict deadlines for submissions.”
Egbonoje recounted that NSIEC officials initially assured that the documents would be ready over the weekend, but when they visited the office on November 15, no senior official was available, and the Secretary said he was not authorized to release any documents.
The PDP candidate, Abubakar, echoed the concerns, insisting that no real election took place in several locations, yet results were announced.
“We were shocked to hear figures being declared from places where no voting actually occurred,” he stated.
Reacting to the allegations,NSIEC’s Secretary, Malam Danjuma Bisallah, acknowledged receiving the opposition’s request and said the CTCs would be provided.
However, he noted that he did not have the authority to personally issue the documents but assured that the CTC would be given by the appropriate officer.
As the 21-day deadline for filing petitions approaches, Egbonoje hinted they may approach the courts to compel NSIEC to release the documents,if the delay continues.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
