Election voter
Osun
Election voter
Osun Re-run Elections not Free, Fair or Credible – TMG
Says 2019 Under Threat
As part of its mandate to engage electoral democracy in Nigeria,
the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) observed the Supplementary
Governorship Elections which took place on the 27th of September,
2018. TMG deployed observers across the seven (7) polling units
across the four-local government councils, namely Orolu, Ife North,
Ife South and Osogbo where elections where cancelled and a rerun
ordered by INEC. In the four-local governments, there were 3,498
registered voters, 2,637 number of PVC collected, while number of
PVC not yet collected were 861 as at the time of the elections. The
elections were cancelled for the following reasons amongst others;
disruptions of the elections by hoodlums, hijacking of materials,
presiding officers absconding and other forms of
irregularities.
TMG deployed observers including supervisors and roving
observers across all the 7 PUs. TMG observed Election Day
processes, the conduct of election managers as well as key issues
that could inform key learning for engaging future elections in the
country.
Methodology
TMG’s observation effort is intended to help promote credible
elections in Nigeria that are conducted in accordance with
international and regional standards as well as the laws of our
country by providing real time independent non-partisan information
on the conduct of all stakeholders on Election Day processes –
setup of polling units, accreditation of voters, voting and
counting.
TMG Observations are as follows:
A. INEC PROCESSES
The observers reported that INEC officials arrived early in most of
the polling units across the four local governments and in all the
Units the polling officials conducted themselves professionally and
were able to handle complaints and issues arising from the voting
process effectively, this could be an indication of proper training
of the polling officials and a good understanding of the processes.
Persons with disability (PWDs), the aged and pregnant women were
given priority in the voting process even though the location of
the polling stations still posed challenges of access for these
groups especially for PWDs.
One major concern is the protection of the secrecy of voting;
TMG is of the opinion that INEC needs to devise a more effective
strategy that will further protect the secrecy of the votes. We
observed that most of the voting cubicles were situated in the
open, making it possible for persons, other than the voter to view
voters’ preferences. While it wasn’t observed that INEC officials
were in anyway complicit in the act, the
reconfiguration/rearrangement of polling stations, the voting
cubicle and the ballot box will help a long way to stem this brazen
practice as earlier observed in past elections.
B. Violence, Arrests, Intimidations and Harassments
TMG observers reported several incidences of intimidation and
harassment of voters. In Orolu Local Government in particular, some
observers and journalists were arrested and detained by some
security agents, while some other observers were prevented from
accessing the polling units, by some hoodlums. By these acts, we
observed that sizeable number of voters were therefore prevented
from performing their civic duties particularly in Kajola, Orolu
Local Government, Oyere and Osi in Ife South Local Government. Our
observations also show that several party agents were prevented
from observing the process.
There were also sporadic gunshots in some locations in Osogbo
and Ife.
Furthermore, TMG observers report also show that some PVCs were
found with people who were not the owners and who had tried to use
same to vote. Particularly in Osi, we got report that INEC
officials actually intercepted and seized 3 of such impersonated
`PVCs.
C. Massive Deployment of security agencies and personnel
The TMG is concerned with the massive deployment of security
agencies and personnel during this election, the country should be
working towards a less policed electoral process. This is even more
worrisome considering the level of reported incidence of violence,
harassment and intimidation from security agencies during this
particular election.
Conclusion
As a group that has been involved in the electoral process since
the return of democracy in 1999, the TMG is of the opinion that the
development in the re-run if not addressed quickly has the
potentials of undermining the confidence people have built overtime
on the electoral system and could send ominous signals for 2019
general elections. We therefore call on INEC to conduct a thorough
investigation into all reports of infractions from the field by
both local and international observer groups. INEC should work with
all stakeholders, particularly observers, law enforcement agencies
and political parties to device innovative and effective means of
curbing the growing brazenness and excesses of some desperate
politicians and other criminally minded people whose conduct
threatens the credibility of outcomes of our electoral
processes.
TMG particularly wish to admonish the political class to have a
rethink and shun acts that could jeopardize the nation’s growing
democracy and throw the country into avoidable turmoil.
Politicians must learn to conduct politics and elections in
sportsmanship manner devoid of the desperation and recklessness
that currently being witnessed.
Finally, TMG condemns the acts of desperation of the political
class which has grievous implication for the credibility and
legitimacy of the entire Osun rerun exercise. We seize this medium
to appeal to all citizens of Osun to continue to maintain the peace
and avoid any acts of violence and lawlessness. We advise any
aggrieved political party not to have any recourse to self-help but
rather explore the constitutional means of seeking redress.
Signed
Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi
Chairperson, TMG
Sulaimon Arigbabu
South-West Coordinator, MG