Guber poll: Voter suppression, observers, journalists assault, characterized process – CODE

By Ukpono Ukpong

Connected Development (CODE), an INEC Accredited Observer, has said that the just concluded Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections was characterized by voter suppression, observers’ and journalists assault even as it commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for addressing logistics issues that marred the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The CODE’s Chief of Mission on Election Observation, Hamzat Lawal, also disclosed that through its election observation technology, Uzabe, it observed that minimal cases of logistics issues were recorded at the polling units during the Gubernatorial elections as voting and accrediting were recorded to begin at 9.00 a.m in many polling units.

While condemning the spate of violence that characterised the gubernatorial elections, especially since INEC and the Police had assured Nigerians of better security, Lawal noted that Uzabe mapping tool received over 400 reports from on-the-ground observers and online social sentiment analysts which it used to established 107 election incidents across 25 States.

Speaking further, CODE’s Chief of Mission on Election Observation, condemned acts of intimidation, threats and assaults of some journalists and CODE observers by thugs and party loyalists, saying “these observers were severely assaulted for exposing vote buying, underage voting in Plateau, Taraba, Kano and Nasarawa States.

“The election observation technology reported enhanced Police deployment for the elections early on, until 2 pm when reports started filtering in from Kano, Kogi, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Kano and Borno States respectively.

“There were records of heavy thug mobilization, the influence of political parties at some polling units, vote-buying, voter suppression and destruction of ballot boxes and election materials. There were also records of heavy military deployment and attacks on electoral facilities.”

According to Lawal, CODED noted that Imo State INEC office was set ablaze as well as heavy military presence in some areas of Rivers State and electoral facilities in Benue and Ebonyi also set on fire by hoodlums affecting about 65 polling units.

Furthermore, CODE, urged INEC to adopt result-management process using secure technology for result collation and transmission to avoid bottlenecks experienced with collating election results with excel sheets adding that “the issues around Election in Nigeria are far from being rectified and these issues continue to threaten the Nation’s democracy.

“The intentions of political parties to continue to undermine the competence of the Independent National Commission and the Nigerian Police Force reflects our level of unpreparedness in enhancing the autonomy of our electoral process.”

He commended Nigerians, particularly the youths, for their loyalty and resilience in the face of insurmountable pressure.

Lawal strongly frowned at the voter apathy recorded across the country especially in Ekiti noting that it was preempted by voters’ lack of confidence in the electoral process, low voter mobilization, threat of violence and heavy security deployment.