Vote-buying, insecurity, logistic lapses mar presidential polls

A civil society organisation, Connected Development, has released the report of its observations of the presidential and National Assembly polls, which held on Saturday, thus calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission to work on issues of security, vote-buying and logistic lapses across the country.

In the report released on Sunday, CODE said its observation team noted delays in the distribution of materials by officials of the commission, as well as violence across some geopolitical areas, which resulted in the disruption of electoral processes.

The group also raised concern over the functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, insecurity and voter-inducement equally observed in some parts of the North-East, and the North-West.

“In the South-East, some of the key issues border around delay in voting as INEC staff had yet to arrive, and voting had yet to commence. We have seen this in LGAs like Umuahia south in the Civic Centre, Abama Housing Estate polling unit, and in Arochukwu local government, in the Amannagwu Hall polling unit.

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In the North-East (in Adamawa precisely), we have several reports of the BVAS malfunctioning, and the accreditation process is automatically stopped. This is happening in a place like Yola North, in the Capital School polling unit.

There are also reports of late arrivals of INEC officials and materials in at least six polling units in Kaduna. In areas like Chikun LGA, in Gidansarki Polling unit, and Makarfi LGA, in Dangu Zuri polling unit, where materials are not working at all”, the report reads.

“In the South-West, there are several reports of voting materials malfunctioning, and party agents disrupting elections. For example in Lagos, Agege local government, in Iloro/Onitepetesi Arigidi polling unit, we noted reports of the wrong BVAS machine deployed to the polling station.

In the North-Central, we have noted reports of a shortage of voting materials at various polling units in Nasarawa, Benue and Kogi states.

We are concerned about reports from the North-West region. For example in Sokoto State, in Sokoto South LGA, armed men attacked a polling station in Jegawa ward, and the assailants destroyed ballot boxes”.

The group also raised concerns over insecurity and violence at various polling units across Borno and Adamawa in the North-East, Ekiti in the South-West, and Kogi in the North-Central.

On voter inducement, CODE said some party agents reportedly engaged in vote-buying in Adamawa, and the South-South region.

“This is to alert security agents to intervene and ensure citizens are allowed to cast their ballot in a peaceful manner.

In the North-East (Borno precisely), we have reports that electoral violence has disrupted elections. Reports have shown that one person has been confirmed dead and another injured in Gwoza LGA, in Gwoza town ward, at Polling unit 005. Reports reaching us is that the violence started as a retaliation to top officials attempting to buy votes.

“We are concerned about security breaches in some parts of the North-East. For example, we have noted an issue of voters and INEC staff getting into a fracas in Yola South, in Wauru Jabbe polling unit. A few hours​ ago, voting in this place had been disrupted, and we call on relevant authorities to look into this and restore calm and order.”

“In Ekiti state, in Ikere LGA, Ajaka unit 003 polling unit, our observers have reported party agents fighting with security agents, and causing disruptions and stopping voting

In Kogi precisely, as at 11:35 a.m., voting was disrupted after a fight erupted, and voters were attacked. Ballot papers were torn and destroyed. And no voting is happening. This is at Dekina LGA, in Udaba Dekina polling unit.”

The group called on INEC to improve security and initiate better solutions on how to employ functioning BVAS and rectify problems caused by the machine during polls.