Jummai Danjuma
The Governor of Niger state Mohammed Umar Bago sometimes around December 2024 approved the appointment of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), chairman Engineer Mohammed Jibrin Imam and other members
The governor appointed the NSIEC 9 member team sometimes in December 2024 to include the following personalities; Engr Mohammed Jibrin Imam as the chairman, Bar. Mohammed A. Liman Permanent Commissioner 1, Nasiru Ubandiya Commissioner 2, Yahaya Idris Abara Commissioner 3.
The rest were Capt. Mohammed Baro rtd now late as Commissioner 4, Kabiru Tanko Zama Commissioner 5, Bar. Amina Guar Commissioner 6 and Bar. Ahmed Borgu Commissioner 7 who were given a matching order as their mandated to conduct elections at the 25 local government areas of the state.
Consequently, the team under the leadership of Engineer Mohammed Jibrin Imam swung in to action unveiled several activities and processes to ensure the conduct of free, fair, credible, acceptable and violent free elections at both wards and council levels in less than a year of their assumption of office.
The Chairman and his team after assumption of office interface with various stakeholders; he sought the support and cooperation of major stakeholders; Inter-party Advisory Council IPAC, various Security Agencies, the Journalists and non-governmental organizations. The commission organized various training programmes to equip the stakeholders and staff for better results.
As a very experienced technocrat who is knowledgeable on the state of affairs especially at the governmental levels, Imam always maintain and emphasize on the need for due process .
He adopted due diligent and followed it to avoid legal lacuna ahead , during and after the elections .
These is demonstrated by the satisfaction that greeted the outcome of the election from all stakeholders , there were commendations from the political parties, CSOs, media and other stakeholders.
Even the state governor Mohammed Umar Bago gave Imam’s leadership a standing ovation at government House after the election , this obviously was recognition of his outstanding performance .
However some people with ulterior and selfish motives , are all over town using some online platforms obviously, they are misguiding the public and playing the cards of those pursuing selfish interest to tarnish the good reputation built for the NSIEC boss over the years as firm and courageous leader.
Some of the issues duel on was the issue of N100 million initial release, release of N1.3 billion election and the purported generation of 100 million from sales of forms . As a matter of good intentions for collective good an in-house grievances are resolved internally . And demands that are genuine entitlements of any member of staff or groups would not have been denied by the management, it is however noteworthy to differentiate between privilege and entitlement
To indicate that some of the claims were spurious, findings revealed that sequel to the swearing-in of the NSIEC board members, Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, approved ₦100 million as a take-off grant for the commission which the substantial amount was used for the party primaries, supervision and renovation of the commission’s entire office accomodations premises that is now wearing a new look contrary to the unfounded allegations.
Apparently, upon the release of the timetable for the 2025 local government elections, the state government reportedly approved an additional ₦1.3 billion to fund the conduct of the polls. In
compliance with the electoral and party guidelines and rules as well as financial regulations each of the committees were given fair treatment after submission of their request throughout the electoral process in line with the realization of the Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago desire for the commission to succeed.
The commission was also said to have purportedly generated about ₦100 million from the sales of election nomination forms from political parties and aspirants beyond government allocations, this is not only untrue and unfounded it is malicious with no basis. No human being is perfect but with the performance of the current commission’s leadership it has performed beyond average and should be applauded.
Allegations against the leadership of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), stating that staff of the commission are being denied their rightful entitlements despite release of funds for the conduct of the 2025 local government elections is very unfortunate. The commission is said not be owing any staff or ad-hoc staff of any unpaid entitlements to date.
As the NSIEC chairman tried to ensure transparency and accountability some who wants the process to be compromised naturally will not be happy
It is on record that commission released N 1 million each to Electoral officers for smooth operations at the local government level in the system and additional one hundred and fifty thousand naira , the call for the retirement of the fund does not go down well with some commissioners and others in the commission who are allegedly behind the attacks launched on public space
Similarly the innovation by the leadership that all the ad-hoc workers should be paid directly and direct into individual beneficiaries accounts which has not been the practice in the past further spike the blackmail, the direct payment was to block loopholes contrary to all the figures given out to the public, they were not only wrong.
If they are not wrong and driving home unjustified interest, why didn’t they mention the specific entitlements that the staff were denied .
It is therefore wrong and against the oath of office taken on the part of some commissioners who were involved in all the processes to now turn around to champion the fueling and instigating the public against a section of the leadership of the commission especially the chairman Engineer Mohammed Jibrin Imam by creating illegal forum of EOs rather than using Internal mechanism to resolve issues- this call for a rethink and restraint
On the allegations against the leadership of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), suggesting that staff of the commission are being denied their rightful entitlements despite the release of substantial funds for the conduct of the 2025 local government elections, it is right to note that the local government electoral officers EOs are civil servants who are not direct staff of NSIEC , notwithstanding they have been paid fully their entitlements . It worthy to reiterate that internal wrangling within the commission should lead to rumors and allegations that can not not be proven . It was obvious from the outcome of the election that all rules were abide by and there was no money missing neither were the staff of the commission denied their entitlements.
Although, when contacted the chairman of Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), Engineer Mohammed Jibrin Imam who preferred not to speak said it is an internal matter that will be ironed out internally, using the internal mechanism insisting that he will continue to ensure transparency and accountability in the commission .
