FIJ
The European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria (EU EOM) has revealed that lack of transparency in the 2023 general election deflated public trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a report released 48 hours after the elections, the EU noted that the confidence earlier had in INEC’s independence, professionalism and voter information efforts decreased even before February 25.
While the EU acknowledged that the election took place as planned, it said that operational failures, which challenged the right to vote, contributed to the reduced trust in the process.
The report also noted that the ongoing fuel scarcity and cash crunch drastically affected INEC’s operational capacity, and that insecurity and pockets of attacks in some local government areas hindered preparations and instilled fear in voters.
“Overall, INEC lacked efficient planning and transparency during critical stages of the electoral process, while on election day, trust in INEC was seen to further reduce due to delayed polling processes and information gaps related to much anticipated access to results on its Results Viewing Portal (IReV),” revealed the report.
