By: Danjuma Attah, Gombe
The Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE-Nigeria) has launched its presence in Gombe State with the aim of propelling public trust and acceptability in the conduct of local government elections.
Chairman of the Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission (GOSIEC), Alhaji Saidu Shehu Awak, had recently announced April 27th, 2024 as date for the Local Government elections even when genuine cloud of doubt hover over the sincerity of the electoral body conducting an election devoid of just apportioning and announcing votes as witnessed in the past in the State and other parts of Nigeria.
However, ACE-Nigeria, while presenting it’s project on electoral credibility and public trust in Gombe, said it had already commenced activities aimed at creating awareness to major stakeholders on the need for the conduct of credible elections.
Secretary General, Alliance for Credible Elections, Mma Odi, during a press conference said, “The essence of the project is to promote partnership and synergy between the Executive, the Legislature and the citizens in ensuring free, fair, peaceful and credible local government elections and good governance at the local government level”.
According to her, ACE in line with it’s mandate and in furtherance of it’s work on ensuring credible elections, good governance and citizens participation in governance is being supported by Situation Room/UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.
She said, the project commenced in October 2023, mobilised 30 key stakeholders as members of ACE-Nigeria Gombe State Project Implementation Committee and reactivated the project implementation committee on the 14th November, 2023 which resulted in the members endorsement of the project and pledged their commitment, support and readiness to be part of the project implementation team.
She added that they also made inputs to the project implementation strategies which led to increase in their civic consciousness and engagement with the executive, legislature and other stakeholders in ensuring enabling environment for credible local government elections that will result in good governance at the local government level.
“The project in November 2023 built the capacity of 46 stakeholders on relevant skills to ensure effective and knowledge base engagement with the executive, legislature and SIEC on electoral credibility and public trust which resulted in strengthening the capacity of the 46 stakeholders to engage and monitor the reform of the legal framework of SIEC law.
“The project increased the stakeholders’ knowledge and understanding of key legal reform issues to effectively engage the executive, legislature SIEC and other stakeholders on Electoral Credibility and Public Trust to ensure free, fair, peaceful and credible local government elections”, Mma Odi stressed.
