The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Election Observation Hub has described the governorship election in Ekiti State as largely peaceful, orderly and inclusive, with early deployment of electoral officials and impressive functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The EU-backed observers, who said the election was monitored through 598 personnel deployed across the state’s 16 local government areas, noted that while the poll was generally peaceful, incidents of voter inducement, intimidation and isolated violence remained major concerns capable of eroding public confidence in the electoral process.
Presenting a joint situational statement in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday, the observation hub said reports from its observers indicated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) achieved significant success in the early deployment of personnel and election materials.
According to the group, officials were present in about 75 per cent of sampled polling units by 7:30 a.m., while accreditation and voting commenced by 8:30 a.m. in 69 per cent of polling units observed.
The observers also reported that the BVAS performed optimally across the state, recording a functionality rate of 96 per cent in the polling units monitored.
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The statement stated that “Election materials, both sensitive and non-sensitive, were generally complete and adequate in the polling units observed, while voting processes commenced on schedule in most locations,”
Despite the positive assessment, the mission identified discrepancies in election materials, noting inconsistencies between the number of political parties listed on ballot papers, result sheets and INEC’s final list of candidates.
The group observed that while INEC’s final list contained 14 candidates, ballot papers featured 19 political parties, while result sheets provided spaces for 15 parties.
On inclusiveness, the observers commended the active participation of women, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and other vulnerable groups in the electoral process.
The Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), one of the organisations within the observation hub, reported that women, who constitute about 51 per cent of the voting population in Ekiti State, participated actively as voters, polling officials and party agents.
According to the report, women accounted for 58 per cent of polling unit officials observed, while their presence on voting queues was described as significant across the state.
The observers also noted substantial participation by persons with disabilities, with no major incidents of harassment or discrimination recorded.
The report indicated that nearly 90 per cent of polling units observed were physically accessible to PWDs, while priority voting arrangements were implemented in more than 80 per cent of the locations monitored.
However, a few operational challenges were recorded, including the initial denial of priority voting to a nursing mother in Ise/Orun Local Government Area and BVAS difficulties in capturing the biometrics of some elderly voters in Ikere Local Government Area.
On security, the EU-backed observers described the overall atmosphere as calm and peaceful, noting the deployment of between five and 10 security personnel to each of the state’s 2,442 polling units.
The mission said voting proceeded without significant disruption, large-scale violence or major operational failures in most parts of the state.
The mission , however, disclosed that 24 incidents of violence were reported across 10 local government areas, including Ado-Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Emure, Ido-Osi, Ilejemeje, Ijero, Ise/Orun, Gboyin, Ikole and Oye.
The observers also raised concerns over what they described as “well-organised voter inducement and vote-buying schemes,” revealing that 24 separate cases of vote-buying and voter intimidation were documented across nine local government areas.
According to the report, some of the incidents were allegedly aimed at compromising the secrecy of the ballot and influencing voter choices.
The observation hub further reported that journalists generally enjoyed unhindered access to polling units across the state and commended efforts by stakeholders to counter misinformation, fake news and disinformation during the election.
However, it noted that security operatives in some areas, including Ikere, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti South-West, Ekiti West and Ikole local government areas, restricted the movement of journalists, while some party agents allegedly obstructed media practitioners from carrying out their duties.
The group urged INEC to promptly replace malfunctioning BVAS machines, extend voting hours in polling units affected by technical challenges and ensure strict compliance with guidelines on result transmission and publication.
It also called on security agencies to intensify efforts against vote-buying, maintain neutrality throughout the process and provide adequate security during result collation.
Political parties and candidates were urged to desist from voter inducement, caution their supporters against violence and respect the will of the electorate.
The observers equally advised voters to reject financial inducements, vote according to their conscience and protect the secrecy of their ballots.
Describing its findings as preliminary, the EU-SDGN Election Observation Hub said it would continue monitoring the voting, collation and results declaration processes before issuing a comprehensive post-election assessment.
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