By Opeyemi Gbemiro
Dec. 8, 2025
Mr Mamman Nda-Eri, Chairman, Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission, KOSIEC, has assured of a transparent, participatory and trustworthy electoral systems as contained in the KOSIEC Law 2025.
Nda-Eri stated this on Monday in Lokoja, at a One-day sensitisation workshop for political stakeholders on “Understanding electoral procedures under the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2025; A Panacea for credible elections” in collaboration with Equity Draftsmen Law Office.
The chairman noted that Laws alone do not guarantee credible elections, but understanding does, hence the essence of the workshop.
He explained that the essence of the 2025 Laws is not merely in the pages on which it is written, but in how each citizens, political actors, electoral officers and community leader understand and align with it’s spirit.
“This Law is our collective guide. It sets out clear steps, responsibilities, timelines and safeguards designed to make our elections more predictable, transparent and credible.
“Understanding these procedures mean know your roles and rights, knowing what to expect, what to demand and what to protect as we walk through the electoral process from voter education.
“It further extends to party primaries, nominations, verification, campaigns, voting, counting, collation and declaration of results,”he said.
The KOSIEC chairman further disclosed that the electoral procedure under the law is built on 3 pillars of clarity, accountability and inclusiveness and when these procedures are understood and followed, elections cease to be a battlefields of suspicion.
“Understanding this Law is a panacea for credible elections because knowledge is a shield, empowerment and an antidote to misunderstanding, exploitation and malpractice.
“Knowledge of these laws will become a civic celebration, a peaceful concept of ideas, a dignified expression of the people’s will and a testimony that democracy is alive in our state,”he clarified.
The Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) Mr. Idris Abdul, said that, ‘with this new law, Kogi is moving forward.’
Abdul commended KOSIEC for coming up with these laws, especially for those working closely with the electoral process of the state.
According to him, the laws will allow KOSIEC to do many things they have not been doing before to It guarantee some level of independence.
“Before, we don’t have something like this, for the first time in the history of the State, we have a training manual produced by SIEC in conjunction with their partners and to me it’s commendable.
“What we have to do, if there is a means is to organise other stakeholders at the grassroots, most especially in our Local Government Areas and even get an interpreter for our local languages to sensitise the people will go a long way,”he said.
The end
