Yiaga Africa:  Guber and State Assembly Elections Marred by Voter Suppression, Electoral Violence, Others

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Yiaga Africa, a pro -election and civil society group, has faulted the March 18 Governorship and State Assembly elections, stating that it was marred by thuggery, voter suppression, electoral violence and vote-buying.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja  yesterday, Yiaga Africa’s Ezenwa Nwagwu said: “The governorship/state assembly elections were signposted with voter suppression, electoral violence, electoral impunity, vote-buying and capture of the results management by political thugs in Delta, Lagos, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kano, and Taraba states.

It further said:  “Yiaga Africa is saddened by the cases of attacks on voters, INEC officials, election observers and personnel of the EFCC by political thugs. These stakeholders suffered grievous bodily harm and psychological trauma. Reports also indicate that at least eight fatalities were recorded within the last 24hrs”.

According to the group, “These election-related deaths are unacceptable and highly condemnable. It is important for security agencies to hold the political thugs and their sponsors accountable for these deaths and attacks.

“Yiaga Africa condemns, in unequivocal terms acts of voter suppression fuelled by ethnic profiling, political thuggery and desperation to secure electoral victory at all costs. In flagrant abuse of the constitution and the 2022 Electoral Act, registered voters and fellow citizens were denied the opportunity to vote in some states.”

It said that  voting is a constitutionally guaranteed right of voters that requires free and fair participation of all eligible voters in a peaceful process, adding “A denial of this right undermines the credibility of electoral outcomes”

 Yiaga Africa further condemned the cases of voter inducement reported across the country in the election as this act perpetuates electoral corruption and political inequality.

Speaking on its key findings in Benue, Delta and Kano, Yiaga Africa’s Watching The Votes observers monitored  accreditation, voting and counting at polling units in all  three states.

Accordingly, Ezenwa said:  “Reports received so far indicate that voting did not happen in  three per cent of polling units in Delta state. The following are additional key observations on election day processes. 

“Deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS)

The functionality BVAS: Yiaga Africa observed that the BVAS was deployed across all of the polling units observed in Benue, Delta and Kano polling units.

“In 88 per cent of polling units in Benue, the BVAS functioned properly. However, in 10 per cent of polling units, the BVAS malfunctioned, and it was fixed and in  one per cent of the polling units, it malfunctioned and was replaced.

“In 88 per cent of polling units in Delta, the BVAS functioned properly. However, in 11 per cent of polling units, the BVAS malfunctioned, and it was fixed.

“In 80 per cent of polling units in Kano state, the BVAS functioned properly. However, in 19 per cent of polling units, the BVAS malfunctioned, and it was fixed and in one per cent of the polling units, it malfunctioned and was replaced.”

On the secrecy of ballots , Yiaga Africa said: “The Secrecy of Ballots: in five per cent, nine per cent  and 21 per cent of polling units in Benue, Delta and Kano states respectively, it was possible to see how a voter’s ballot paper was marked. This data especially for Kano state correlates with the data on the absence of a voting cubicle in 32 per cent of the polling units shared in our midday statement.

“The professionalism of Polling Officials and Party Agents: Observers in over six per cent,  seven per cent and  three per cent of polling units in Benue, Delta and Kano respectively reported that INEC polling officials were unprofessional and partisan. In addition, observers in over 13 per cent, 10 per cent and  eight per cent of polling units in Benue, Delta and Kano reported that security personnel were unprofessional and partisan”.

On Misconduct at the Polling Units, the group said: “In  three per cent,  two per cent, and  five per cent of polling units in Benue, Delta and Kano respectively, voters were permitted to vote without having their fingerprints or facial biometrics authenticated by the BVAS.

“At two per cent ,  eight per cent and nine per cent of polling units in Benue, Delta and Kano respectively, WTV observers reported that voters faced intimidation, harassment or assault during voting.

Counting: “At 97 per cent, 99 per cent and 99 per cent of polling units in Benue, Delta and Kano respectively, counting was done in the same location as accreditation and voting.

Yiaga Africa also received additional reports on the conduct of the elections from the other 25 states from its 550 stationary and mobile observers, these include:

‘’Deployment of the BVAS: Yiaga Africa observed that BVAS was deployed across all of the observed polling units in the 25 states. In 16 polling units where Yiaga Africa received reports of malfunctioning, BVAS was either fixed or replaced. In 144 polling units, voters whose names were on the register of voters and not on the BVAS were denied accreditation.

“Secrecy of the Ballots: In 92 polling units, party agents could see how voters marked their ballot papers.

“Professional Conduct: Yiaga Africa received reports that security personnel were unprofessional and partisan in 26 polling units observed. Yiaga Africa received reports that polling officials were unprofessional and partisan in 21 polling units observed.

On Critical Incidents Reports, it said that “Over the course of Saturday, 18 March 2023 Election Day, Yiaga Africa verified 216 critical incidents witnessed by WatchingTheVote citizen observers.

The most frequent incident reports recorded by Watching The Vote Observers related to Polling units, not opening, malfunctioning of the BVAS, destruction/snatching of ballot boxes, insufficient election materials and disruption of the voting and results collation process.

These it said included:”Violent disruption of the process: WTV observers reported that election materials for Ward 10, Unit 2 in Emohua LGA of Rivers State were hijacked at gunpoint by thugs. The bus conveying the materials and personnel was also hijacked. WTV observer in Oshodi/Isolo LGA, Lagos state reported armed thugs affiliated with the APC shooting sporadically which disrupted the process in 2 PUs located inside Okota grammar school and 5 PUs in the Isolo community.

“This resulted in the process being suspended. Thugs who are affiliated with a political party attacked the Lavun LGA collation center in Niger State and destroyed all the result sheets from the wards.

“Yiaga Africa also received a report of the disruption of the collation process in Ahoada West LGA, in Rivers state WTV observer was trapped inside the collation centre with the Electoral Officer after thugs started shooting at the centre. Security operatives present at the time scampered for safety.

“Similarly, political thugs numbering about 50 attacked the polling units in Warri South LGA of Delta State and disrupted the voting process as they hunted for party agents and observers in the community. In Oferekpe Igbegu ward 3 in Izzi LGA, Ebonyi State a political thug was apprehended and killed by security personnel. The thug whose affiliation to a political party is unknown was shooting into the air creating tension in the community on his way to the polling unit to interrupt the process.

“Election Suspended: WTV observers in Kwande LGA of Benue reported the discrepancies over errors noticed on the printed ballot papers for the two constituencies under the Kwande LGA. Election was suspended for the entire LGA.

“Results manipulation during collation: In Abia state, Obingwa LGA Results Collation Centre, party agents for PDP and security agents asked observers and other party agents (APC, Accord and APGA) to exit  the collation centre. Presiding officers were also forced to alter the figures on form Ec.8A in favour of PDP. The PDP agent was making a call and stated that he intends to bribe the officers at the collation centre with 100 thousand Naira each.

“The PDP agents were also delegating their personnel to sign on behalf of other parties after manipulating the results.

“Obstruction of election observation: In Tarauni LGA of Kano, WTV observers and other observers present were prevented from observing the LGA collation process by police personnel present. A similar report was received from Okrika LGA, Rivers state, only the PDP party agents were allowed to observe the process.

“Thugs organised by the LGA chairman were stationed at the entrance of the collation centre. Also in Gokana LGA, Rivers state, security personnel prevented all observers present from observing the collation process, only party agents for the APC, PDP & SDP were allowed to access the collation center. Yiaga Africa observer was denied access to the LGA collation centre in Otukpo LGA, Benue State. The observer for Ndokwa West was also denied access to the LGA collation centre, party agents stated that the LGA is APC’s territory and no one is allowed into the collation centre. .

“Intimidation and harassment: In Mosogar I-Sam-Ogbakpa Primary School, Mosogar, Ethiope West, Delta State WTV observer reported an attack on the polling unit by thugs who were angry as a result of the death of one of them in another polling unit.

“ The thugs were shooting sporadically and used cutlasses to beat the INEC officials, they carted away the ballot papers. Also, in PU 005 of Falagai ward in Bunkure LGA, Kano state, the party agents present took advantage of the fact that security agents were not at the polling unit to disrupt the process. A WTV observer observing the process at Langtang South LGA Collation Center reported that the LGA chairman, who is an APC member, was intimidating INEC officials and other  party agents at the Collation center.

“Vote buying: Yiaga Africa received 44 reports involving incidents of vote buying, some of these include cash inducement and distribution of food items. PDP representatives were sighted collecting bank account details of voters in the polling unit 002, in Bakura ward, Bakura LGA of Zamfara State.

“PDP agents were also sighted collecting bank account details of voters in polling unit 006 in ward 8 Ogbomoso North LGA, Ogun State. Party agents distributed monies to voters in Ikenne Town Hall Polling Unit in Ward 2 in Ogun East LGA, Ogun State. In polling unit 003, Gidan Bunu Ward of Zuru LGA in Kebbi APC agents was seen openly sharing wrappers to women, rice and fertilizer to men (15 persons/bag) the party agents were also seen spying on voting cubicles while voting was ongoing. Also in the polling unit under tree (021), Gidan Alhazai ward, Wudil LGA in Kano, APC agents were seen distributing wrappers to voters.

The group said that it’s observers the recorded several cases of ballot box snatching in most of the places that they monitored.