GUARDIAN
Nigeria’s Presidential and National Assembly elections conducted nationwide nine days ago mark yet another lost opportunity for the country to set any impressive record of her democratic dispensation. The elections engendered a lot of worrisome issues and outcomes so glaring to the notice of even casual observers. The conduct of the elections was replete with a lot of shortcomings leaving both domestic and international audiences to wonder if Nigeria will ever get it right in its evolving democratisation process. In the course of the elections, a sizable number of irregularities were observed.
First, on the eve of the elections, the liquidity squeeze resulting from the government’s ill-informed policy of naira redesign was disconcerting for the population and deterred commuting to voters’ centres and polling units. Like child’s play, the voters’ woes were compounded by the contradictions that emerged on Deed Day: Late arrival of the election officials and materials, omissions, and wrong sorting of sensitive material delayed voting in some centres. Pockets of violence, disruption of voting, snatching and destruction of ballot boxes and papers, and threats to voters were also hallmarked in many stations across the country.
For example, in Borno State, low voter turnout, malfunctioning of BVAS and late arrival of election materials were recorded in most polling units in the Maiduguri metropolis. As of 11:25 a.m. on Election Day, voting materials did not arrive in Shettima Kukawa PU 023 at Lawan Bukhari. In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), some voters expressed displeasure over the late commencement of the voting exercise. For example, voters at polling unit 17, Byazhin ward, Kubwa, complained about the late arrival of voting materials, especially ballot boxes. In Imo State, South-east Nigeria, it was reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials arrived late at some polling units well after the stipulated voting time. This was the case in all five voting wards in Egbema community in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state.
Reportedly, in Abia State, particularly Abia North about five local government areas with polling units in Bende, Umunneochi, Ohafia, Arochukwu, and Isuikwuato witnessed late arrival of voting materials. In Kogi State, it was reported that at midday, the election did not commence in some polling units in Lokoja, Ajaokuta, Ganaja and Lokongoma among others due to the late arrival of INEC officials. In Lagos, as of 10.20 a.m., some polling units in Ikorodu experienced late arrival of INEC officials and materials at polling unit 019, Ita Aro Square, Àga/Ijimu ward allegedly due to the inability to pay drivers conveying election materials. Equally, in Lekki, voters witnessed the late arrival of INEC officials and materials.
In other areas, BVAS theft and malfunction posed a problem to the voting process. Indeed, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman, made the point in a situation report that some Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines were snatched from electoral officials. For example, in units in Akwa Ibom, Delta, Katsina, Niger and Rivers states, BVAs were reportedly snatched by thugs while it malfunctioned in some places. In Akwa Ibom, two voters were macheted while carting away a Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System machine in the Onna Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. In Delta State, particularly Oshimili LGA, thugs attacked a polling unit and two BVAS machines were lost in the process. Also, at the Uzoigwa primary registration area centre in Asaba and Ward 9, Unit 3, Okpanam, in the Oshimili North Local Government Area, BVAS malfunctioned at the commencement of the accreditation. In Katsina State, in Safana LGA, thugs attacked one of our voting locations and snatched six BVAS machines. In the FCT, some voters decried the malfunctioning of the BVAS during accreditation, particularly at Unit 025, Minister Gate.
