The Inter Party Advisory Council has called for the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).

IPAC National Secretary, Yusuf Dantalle, made the call on Tuesday when he received a delegation of the United Nations Electoral Needs Assessment Mission.

He received the delegation, led by Serge Kubwimana, at the council’s National Secretariat in Abuja.

Mr Dantalle said that many Nigerians had lost confidence in the ability of SEICs to conduct free, fair, credible and inclusive elections at the grassroots level.

He said the council would continue to engage stakeholders, particularly the National Assembly, for further reform of the electoral process including the scrapping of the SIECs.

“Polls conducted by various SIECs in the country are mere charades with predetermined outcomes that make mockery of our democratic encounter.

“Accordingly, IPAC will boycott these electoral jamborees by State Governments in power which have impeded the nation’s democratic advancement at the grassroots, and demands that their functions be carried out by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“In view of this, IPAC supports Local Government autonomy as the third tier of government closest to the people,” Mr Dantalle said.

Mr Dantalle said free, fair, credible, transparent, inclusive, peaceful and acceptable election was the beauty and bedrock of any democracy.

He said that the forthcoming general elections were critical for sustainable democracy in Nigeria.

(NAN)