Situation Room Seeks Probe of Shortcomings of 2023 General Elections

Lists poor procurement, logistics, abuse of electoral process

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has asked the federal government  to immediately order an independent inquiry into the conduct of the 2023 Nigeria general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

It said the independent inquiry should address amongst other issues, procurement, logistics management, and abuse of electoral process by INEC and security officials.

The Situation Room is made up of civil society organisations (CSOs) working in support of credible and transparent elections in Nigeria numbering more than 70. 

According to the foremost Nigeria Civil Society observer group, the objective of the inquiry should be to identify challenges and make recommendations towards repairing the damaged credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.

In the group’s second interim statement presented to newsmen in Abuja yesterday,  the Convener of the Situation Room, Ene Obi, said that said that apart from incidences of vote-buying, violence, harassment of voters and observers, there were serious glitches in the collation  and transmission of results by officials of the electoral body during the February 25 2023 Presidential/National Assembly election and March 18, 2023 Governorship/State Assembly poll.

Situation Room said its observers reported problems with collation of results in several polling units across the country.

It said the usual procedure of vote counting at polling units and collation at the ward level was circumvented in some places in violation of the election regulations.

In addition the Observer group alleged that INEC officials with active support of the security officials moved collation from the polling units to local government headquarters despite the protests by some political parties.

Obi said: “In the light of the serious shortcomings with the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, the Situation Room calls for an independent inquiry into the conduct of the 2023 Nigeria General Elections.

“This independent inquiry should address amongst other issues, procurement, logistics management, and abuse of electoral process by INEC and security officials. This is urgently needed to identify challenges and make recommendations towards repairing the damaged credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.

“It is imperative to undertake a national debate to address all these critical challenges that still confront our electoral process. This, without doubt will enthrone more transparency and help to build peoples’ confidence in the democratic process.”

While giving its assessment of the conduct of the last Saturday’s gubernatorial and State Assembly elections, Situation Room said its observers reported high prevalence of vote-buying across the country during last  gubernatorial and State Assembly elections.

It said there were huge levels of voter apathy during the state-wide elections resulting from the failings of INEC at the February 25, presidential and national assembly elections.

The Situation Room also noted that despite the presence of security personnel in 91 per cent of the polling units visited, the security officials did not live up to expectations as there were reports that security agents were compromised in some places.

It also said that vote-buying were prevalent in many places it visited.

According to the observer group, items given in exchange for votes included clothing items, food items and money. Amounts given ranged from N500 to N5,000 in cash, transfer or promissory notes.

 Obi, who was flanked by other Co-Conveners of the Situation, Asma’u Joda and James Ugochukwu said there were several incidents of election-related violence in many parts of the country.

“Situation Room notes that there is a persistent problem of election violence in Rivers State. However, the incidents of violence in Lagos State appeared to have surpassed its existing threshold. For instance, in Bishop Oluwole Memorial Primary School, Ward 005, Ifako Ijaiye LGA of Lagos State, voting ended at 2:30 pm but fight broke out between the INEC officials and party agents during the counting of votes due to a voided ballot paper.

“In Polling Unit 069, Amuwo Odofin LGA, Lagos State, thugs attacked voters and vandalised vehicles, prevented people from voting in this Polling Unit by breaking people’s cars, fighting, and inciting violence.

“In addition, two Situation Room observers were harassed and obstructed from carrying out their duties in Enugu North and Igboeze North Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Enugu State. AIT reporters and cameraman were molested and prevented from covering the elections at some polling units in Eti-Osa, Ifako-Ijaiye and Amuwo Odofin LGAs by political thugs and hoodlums. “An ARISE TV crew was attacked while covering the election in Elegushi area of Lagos. A cameraman suffered facial injuries, while camera drones and other equipment were seized. In Ogun State, a reporter with the News Agency of Nigeria was among journalists molested in Itori Odo Area of Abeokuta South LGA where they faced mob attack by political thugs who equally reportedly assaulted INEC officials with axes and allegedly destroyed ballot boxes”.

Situation Room further reported that in Rivers, Lagos and Edo States, there were cases of voters being denied access to polling units by political thugs.

For instance, it said that in PU 012, Nonwa Ward 7 in Tai LGA of Rivers State, thugs destroyed materials and beat up election officials.

The Situation Room also said that it received a disturbing report that 19 INEC ad-hoc staff, who were on their way to seven different polling units in Ugbelie Ward 06 in Ideato South LGA of Imo State were abducted by unknown persons.

“There were reports of attack on voting centres in an IDP camp in Uhogwa, Ovia North East LGA of Edo State by armed hoodlums. During the attack, one person was severely injured, an INEC ad hoc staff was forced to take refuge in a nearby house, while voting materials were carted away.

“In addition, there were reports of voter intimidation, disruption of voting and destruction of election materials in polling units visited in Enugu, Imo, Sokoto, Delta, Niger, Gombe, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom and Ogun States,” it said.