Issued in Abuja at 12:00 pm, Friday, 10th November 2023
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room) has convened to observe the Governorship elections scheduled to hold in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States on Saturday, 11th November 2023. These are the first major elections to take place after the 2023 general elections.
Situation Room will be working with its partners and network of more than 70 civil society organisations to observe the elections and receive reports from the three States. This will inform its observation and analysis of the Governorship elections.
Situation Room has been following recent developments leading up to the elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States and makes the following observations:
INEC and Election Administration
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its readiness to conduct the Governorship elections in the three States. The Commission reiterated that the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be used for voter accreditation, and upload of polling unit election results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal.
Situation Room notes that as part of preparations for the elections, the sum of N18 billion was appropriated for INEC in the recently approved 2023 Supplementary Budget, a proportion of which was allocated to augmenting the cost differentials in the budget for the conduct of the three off-cycle Governorship elections.
Situation Room observed the mock accreditation exercise conducted by INEC in select locations across the three States on 14th October 2023. Situation Room also observed the inspection of election materials which took place on Thursday, 9th November at the offices of the Central Bank of Nigeria in the three States.
Situation Room expects an improved administration and management of these three Governorship elections and therefore enjoins INEC to abide by the provisions of the Electoral Act and its Regulations and Guidelines at all stages of the election, to promote transparency, accountability and conduct elections that will be adjudged by the generality of Nigerians as free, fair and credible. To this end, Situation Room will be looking out for the following:
- Early distribution and deployment of election personnel and materials
- Timely commencement of polls
- Priority Voting and availability of assistive materials for persons with disabilities (PWDs)
- Knowledge of election procedures by INEC ad hoc staff
- Accreditation of voters using the Bi-modal Verification Accreditation System (BVAS)
- Upload and display of polling unit election results on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal
- Transparent Collation process
Situation Room further notes the warning given by INEC at its Stakeholders’ meeting held on 8th November 2023 in Bayelsa State, to the effect that no election results will be recorded for polling units where violence occurs, and that the Commission would not return to those locations to conduct elections. Situation Room urges the Electoral Commission to reconsider this stance in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, in order not to disenfranchise eligible voters. Section 24 (3) of the Act requires INEC to suspend an election and reschedule it, in the event of a substantial disruption to the election in a polling unit, occasioned by threat to peace and security of electoral officials and materials.
Election Security
The Nigeria Police announced that it has sufficient personnel and resources to deploy for the Governorship elections in the three States and that it has trained its personnel involved in election security management. The Inspector General of Police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun has given assurances that the Police and other security agencies are ready for election duty. In addition, the IGP has assured that vote buying will be tackled, and that electoral offenders will be arrested.
Recent developments in the three States where elections will be holding, is however worrying. For over three years, Imo State has been the epicentre of several violent attacks targeted at residents and security agents. In addition to that, on 1st November 2023, a protest by Imo State Government workers to express their grievances over poor working conditions was disrupted by thugs, and the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) arrested and brutalised by security operatives in concert with thugs.
This development necessitated calls for the removal of the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Barde, who was promptly removed by the IGP, and a new Police Commissioner, CP Danjuma Aboki deployed to replace him, two days to the Governorship election. While the redeployment of the widely criticised CP Barde is welcome, Situation Room calls on the new Commissioner of Police to eschew the partisanship and bias which his predecessor was strongly accused of.
The NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in reaction to what they described as the Imo State Government’s refusal to adhere to the terms of its agreements with labour unions, directed the withdrawal of workers’ services across the State, including the shutdown of the Sam Mbakwe Airport in the State from Wednesday, 8th November 2023. While Situation Room condemns the disruption of the workers’ protest and the brutalisation of the NLC President, it is also concerned about the potential impact of the strike action on the conduct of the Governorship election in the State, particularly logistics for the deployment of election staff and materials.
Elections are important for the survival of democracy and Situation Room calls on all persons to ensure that the Governorship elections are supported to succeed.
In Bayelsa and Kogi States, there have been reports of election-related violence, occasioned by attacks targeted at party stalwarts and resulting in injuries and deaths of several persons. These developments are worrying and raise concern for the safety of various stakeholders on election day.
Situation Room calls on the Police and all supporting security agencies deployed for election security duty, to display professionalism and neutrality. In addition, they are enjoined to be vigilant and proactive to forestall electoral infractions and secure the entire electoral process.
Campaigns, Conduct of Political Parties and Candidates
Political party campaigns have neither been robust or issue-based. Political parties have mainly carried out rallies, with candidates putting forward sketchy manifestoes and launching smear campaigns against their opponents.
There are reports of sitting Governors taking advantage of incumbency to prevent or make it difficult for other political parties and candidates to utilise facilities in their States for their campaigns. One example was the alleged fifty-four million naira (N54,000,000) charge for the use of a single billboard for political campaign adverts in Imo State. Another example was the attempt by the Imo State and Kogi State Governments to reserve all rooms in all hotels in their respective States from 4th to 12th November 2023, ostensibly to prevent their opponents or other stakeholders such as election observers from gaining access to hospitality facilities in the State for the period of the election.
Situation Room calls on all political parties and candidates participating in the elections across the three States to adhere to the Peace Accord signed with the National Peace Committee, and refrain from all forms of violence and intimidation of election workers and voters. Political parties are also enjoined to call their agents and supporters to order and ensure that they conduct themselves responsibly.
Conclusion
The irregularities that trailed the conduct of the 2023 general elections have left a lot of voters disenchanted and dwindled confidence in the electoral process. Accordingly, INEC will need to do its utmost to ensure that these off-cycle elections do not further worsen citizens’ confidence in our electoral process.
Situation Room enjoins all eligible voters in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States to come out on Saturday, 11th November 2023 and fully participate in the process of electing a leader of their choice for their respective States. Situation Room calls on all election stakeholders to approach this election with every sense of responsibility and utmost respect of democratic standards.
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SIGNED:
Y.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 and transparent elections 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), 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. Other groups are: Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Centre LSD, CISLAC, WARD-C, Proactive Gender Initiative (PGI), Enough is Enough Nigeria, WANGONET, JDPC, Yiaga Africa, Development Dynamics, Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), Stakeholder Democracy Network, Human Rights Monitor, Community Life Project (CLP)/Reclaim Naija, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR,) Nigerian Women Trust Fund, The Albino Foundation, Electoral Hub, etc.
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