Ekiti Election: What We Observed During the Governorship Polls, Yiaga Africa Releases Findings

Yiaga Africa Watching The Vote (WTV) has released its preliminary findings of the ongoing governorship election in Ekiti state.

According to the Election observer group, 500 carefully trained stationary observers and 25 mobile observers were stationed to all the 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Ekiti state. Their role is to to observe the accreditation and voting process as well as to share reports on the general conduct of the election at the polling units level.

As noted in Yiaga Africa’s pre-election statement on June 16, this is the first state-wide election to be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the new Electoral Act 2022. Therefore,

The group which claimed that the election presents an opportunity to assess the operational implications of some provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the newly issued INEC guidelines. Other ‌areas of interest releases the following findings.

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1. Early Opening of Polls: Yiaga Africa WTV observed early arrival of polling officials and materials at polling units across the State. As of 7:30 am, Yiaga Africa WTV observers reported that INEC officials had arrived at 75% of polling units.
2. Early Start of Polls: By 8:30 am, 24% of polling units had commenced accreditation and voting. This however, increased to 99% by 9:30 am. This is consistent with the observation findings in the 2018 elections, where officials had arrived at 78% of polling units by 7:30 am and 91% of polling units opened by 9:00 am.
3. Functionality of the BVAS: Yiaga Africa observed the deployment of the BVAS to all polling units. In 75% of the observed polling units, the BVAS functioned properly, however, in 25% of polling units, the BVAS malfunctioned and was fixed at some point duing the accreditation and voting process. In 96% the total number of accredited voters on the BVAS was shown to be zero before the commencement of the process.
4. Deployment of polling officials: In those polling units where INEC officials and materials arrived, 96% of polling units had more than three polling officials present, and 55% of polling units had at least two female polling officials present.
5. Deployment of Party Agents: All Progressives Congress (APC) polling or party agents were seen at 100% of polling units, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at 98% of polling units and Social Democratic Party (SDP) polling agents were seen at 98% of polling units.
6. Deployment of Assistive Materials and Set up of Polling Unit: The Braille ballot guides were observed in 61% of polling units, the PWD poster was seen in 66% of polling units and form 40H (PWD voter information and statistics) was seen in 76% of polling units. The polling unit was not set up in a location that allows voters to mark their ballots in secret in 8% of polling units.

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Going further, Yiaga Africa says it received and verified the following critical incident reports:

1. Voter Inducement/Bribery: Vote buying was reported by WTV observers in ​​Alowodolu / Ojo - The Apostolic P.S Compound with PU code 13/09/04/00 in Ijero Ward D of Ijero LGA. Party agents from APC were reportedly sharing N7,000 to voters who showed how their ballot paper was marked. A similar report on vote buying by APC was received from Open Space At Bamitale Along St. Mary’s Road in Ikere. Also, in Ogidi - in Ipoti Ward A, party agents from PDP and SDP were seen bribing voters. At ​​C. A. C. Gramm. Sch. / Ola Oluwa II with PU code 014 in Ado-Ekiti, APC party agent was also reportedly giving N5000 to voters who confirmed they had voted for the party.
2. Polling Unit Not Opened: WTV Observers in Premises of Staff Nur & Pri. School. Balemo, Oke Ila with PU Code 13/01/07/006 in Ado Ekiti reported that as of 12:00 noon neither INEC officials nor materials had arrived at the polling unit.
3. Secrecy of the Ballots Threatened: Secrecy of the ballot was not upheld as people could see how voters marked the ballots in Igede Ward II 13-13-06-014 in Irepodun/Ifelodun LGA. Party agents for the APC, PDP and SDP clustered around the voting cubicle and saw how voters marked their ballot papers.
4. Voters Names not found on the BVAS: Yiaga Africa also received reports of missing names of registered voters on the BVAS. The voter were prevented from voting despite holding INEC issued PVCs.
5. Ballot Box Snatching: Yiaga Africa also received reports of ballot box snatching in Ilawe Ward IV, near St. Patrick’s School. The incidents were reported in two polling units with codes 13/05/06/005 and 007.

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Ekiti polls: Former governor raises concern over security, gives reason

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that ahead of the 2022 gubernatorial election in Ekiti state, former governor and candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Segun Oni have raised concerns over the preparations of security heading into the poll.

The ex-governor who is running again for a seat at the government house in Ekiti made his dissatisfaction known on Thursday, June 16 during an interview with Arise TV.

Legit.ng gathered that Mr Oni criticized the state of insecurity in the state making reference to several attacks and the abduction of one of his supporters by unknown armed men heading into the elections.

Source: Legit.ng