The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has stressed the need for the states Independent Electoral Commission (SIECs) to conduct credible elections at local government areas.

He said that, by conducting credible local government elections, SIECs would provide the basic building blocks of democratic growth in the country.

Jega made this submission yesterday in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, while speaking at the opening of second national conference of INEC and SIECs.

While calling the SIEC bodies in the country to abide by all the recommendations agreed upon in a conference at Enugu, the INEC boss said that doing so would go a long way in enhancing the growth of the local government system in the country.

He called for continued collaboration of INEC and SIECs in the bid to strengthen the nation’s democracy through the conduct of credible polls in the country.

Jega disclosed that "between 1999 and 2012, hypothetically, the 37 election management bodies in Nigeria ought to have conducted almost 450 elections, with INEC conducting 16 and SIECs conducting about 432," noting that the analysis represented enormous experience in election management from which all the electoral bodies learnt from.

"By guaranteeing a system of local government by elected officials, the Nigerian constitution correctly anticipates the important role that a democratic local government system will play in our national democratic practice," he said. 

"There is no doubt that local government elections are as important as any other elections in Nigeria because if we get elections right at local government levels, we have chance of getting elections right at all levels".

Jega noted further that as the bodies constitutionally charged with the elections at the local government level, SIECs had a major role and responsibility in building the nation’s democratic system.