Issued @ 2:30pm on Saturday, 21st September 2024 in Benin City
Introduction
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR) is observing the ongoing governorship election in Edo State and will continue to follow up on the process until the polls are concluded. The Situation Room notes that the election is taking place amidst pre-election tension and a proliferation of fake news, which contributed to heightened anxiety in the State.
At this time, Situation Room wishes to make the following observations:
Arrival of Personnel and Polls Opening
Reports from our observers indicate that poll officials arrived on time in 50% of the polling units (PUs) observed, and polls opened at the regular hour of 8:30am in only 48.4% of the polling units visited. We note some isolated locations where officials arrived as early as 7:00 am, particularly Maria Goretti Girls Secondary School in Ward 6, Ikpoba Okha LGA, and PU 29 in Ward 7 of Esan-West LGA. However, in many other locations, poll officials and materials had not arrived as at 9:00 am. For Example, polling units 7 and 8 Eweka Secondary School, Ward 10, Egor LGA were among those affected.
Furthermore, at the Super Registration Area Centre (Super RAC) in Ogbe Primary School, Oredo LGA, poll officials and materials had not left the Super RAC as at 9:00 am as observers reported that many ad-hoc staff refused to sleep over at the RAC due to fears of possible attacks.
We note that some polling units in locations such as Egor, Oredo, Ikpoba Okha, Etsako-West, Owan-West, and Esan Central LGAs experienced widespread delays due to the heavy rainfall in these locations.
Polling Unit Security Deployment
Our observers reported that security personnel were present and on time in 92% of the polling units visited. The security agents’ conduct has been largely professional and without any reported incidents of intimidation. However, despite their presence, our observers noted widespread instances of vote buying, carried out openly in many voting locations. We, however, acknowledge the arrest of the alleged two vote traders in George Idah primary school, Ward 2, Oredo LGA.
Accreditation and Voting
Observers on the ground reported that the accreditation process was conducted using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), with the device functioning well in 98% of polling units visited. However, some isolated cases of BVAS failure were reported, including at PU 6, Ward 10, Esan-West LGA.
The average time for voter accreditation in these units was approximately one minute per voter. Facial recognition authentication performed better than thumbprint authentication.
Presence of Party Agents
Party agents were observed in most polling units, with the following distributions:
- APC: 41%
- Labour Party: 13%
- PDP: 25%
- PRP: 5%
- Others: Less than 2%
The party agents have so far conducted themselves in an orderly manner, with proper identification on display. We wish to note that party agents were not seen in many of the polling units observed.
Vote Trading
Situation Room observers reported widespread instances of blatant vote buying and selling across several polling units, despite the huge presence of security personnel. The price of votes ranged from ₦5,000 to ₦10,000 per voter in several locations, including PU08 and 09 Ward 2, Owan-East LGA; PU 02 Ward 2, Etsako-West LGA; and several polling units in Egor, Oredo and Owan-West LGAs. In some cases, voters were also induced with food items such as bread and “Gala”.
Fake News
The election environment has been further charged by the spread of fake news, which has contributed to confusion among voters and heightened tension at several polling locations. According to the report of Situation Room’s member organization – Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa), there were three major fake news, propagated on the eve of the election, largely affecting the three major political parties.
Interim Conclusion
The Situation Room observed and commended the peaceful conduct of voters throughout the process. We urge them to remain so.
The Situation Room will continue to observe developments as they unfold and provide a comprehensive report after the polls. We urge all stakeholders, including INEC, security agencies, and political parties, to ensure the smooth conduct of the election and to refrain from any acts that could undermine the integrity of the process.
SIGNED:
Yunusa Z. Ya’u
Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room
Mimidoo Achakpa
Co-Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room
Franklin Oloniju
Co-Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room
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The Situation Room is made up of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in support of credible elections and governance in Nigeria numbering more than seventy. The Steering Committee is made up of: Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) , YIAGA Africa, TAF Africa, Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability (formerly Alliance for Credible Elections, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Kimpact Development Initiative, Democratic Action Group (DAG), Women’s Rights to Education Programme, Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD), DIG Ebonyi, New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), Life And Peace Development Organization (LAPDO), Rural Youth Initiative, Challenged Parenthood Initiative (CPI), Centre for Health and Development in Africa (CHEDA) and Josemaria Escriva Foundation.
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