Yiaga Africa, a civil society organization, said there was an attempt to intimidate officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to bypass the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the Edo State governorship election.
The group also attributed delays in accreditation and voting to logistical challenges faced on election day.
Addressing journalists in Benin City, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, Chairperson of the Yiaga Africa 2024 Edo Election Mission, and Samson Itodo, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, stated that despite a tense political atmosphere, the election began peacefully with minimal incidents.
“The lack of vehicles to transport ad hoc officials and election materials, combined with the absence of security personnel to accompany them, contributed significantly to the delays,” Yiaga Africa reported.
Yiaga Africa observed that while security agencies were present at most polling units, the distribution of security personnel was uneven. It noted that some densely populated polling units were left with limited security, raising concerns about the safety of voters and election materials.
The group further expressed concerns about reports of intimidation in Akoko-Edo LGA, missing results sheets in Orhionmwon LGA, and the disruption of voting in Esan Central LGA by political thugs.
The incidents, according to the organization, may jeopardise the integrity of the election and could lead to voter suppression and potential election manipulation.
The group commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and security agencies for their swift action in arresting suspected vote-buyers at polling units in Egor and Oredo LGAs.
However, it noted that voters were offered N10,000 per vote, even in the presence of security officials in some areas.
The statement partly reads, “Yiaga Africa deployed the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology to observe the Edo State governorship election. This involved 300 stationary and 25 roving observers, covering a representative sample of polling units across all 18 LGAs.
“Yiaga Africa is concerned over reports of intimidation of INEC officials to bypass the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in Akoko-Edo LGA, missing results sheets in Polling Unit 1 in Ward 8, Orhionmwon LGA, and disruptions caused by political thugs chasing voters from Polling Unit 5 in Uwessan Ward 2, Esan Central LGA.
“These infractions risk voter suppression and election manipulation. Yiaga Africa calls on INEC to strictly enforce its guidelines and to resist any pressure to deviate from the electoral legal framework.
“Yiaga Africa commends the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and security agencies for their swift action in arresting suspected vote-buyers at polling units in Egor and Oredo LGAs.
“The commission should extend its operations to other LGAs where votes are being traded for N10,000 per voter even in the presence of security personnel.
“The Nigeria Police are also applauded for arresting and disarming political thugs with firearms on the eve of the election, contributing to a more secure election day environment,” the organization urged.