2023 Polls: Situation Report Confirms High Voter Turnout, Violence in Northeast
FCT, Abuja - The mid-day situation report by Connected Development (CODE) has confirmed that the 2023 general election has been greeted with high voter turnout, as forecasted in one of its pre-election reports.
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According to the field report from its 20,000 observers released on Saturday, February 25, it was confirmed that despite the voter turnout, the electoral process needed to be revised.
Source: Twitter
Hamzat Lawal, the executive director of CODE, at the mid-day press briefing attended by Legit.ng, revealed a series of violent conduct, vote-buying in the northeast region, and delay in electoral votes materials in some parts of southwest and southeast.
Lawal said:
"We have reports that electoral violence has disrupted elections. Reports have shown that one person has been confirmed dead and another injured in Gwoza LGA, in Gwoza town ward, at Polling unit 005. Reports reaching us is that the violence started as a retaliation to top officials attempting to buy votes.
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"We are worried about reports of party agents sharing food which is tantamount to vote buying. This is happening in Yola North, in Jambutu Kofar Jairo. We call on voters to refuse any form of inducement and call on INEC to put a stop to it."
On the situation of electoral process in the southwest and southeast, he said:
"There are several reports of voting materials malfunctioning and party agents disrupting elections. For example in Lagos, Agege Local Govt, in Iloro/onitepetesi Arigidi polling unit, we have noted reports of the wrong BVAS machine deployed to the polling station.
"In Ekiti State, in Ikere LGA, Ajaka unit 003 polling unit, our observers have reported party agents fighting with security agents and causing disruptions and stopping voting."
He, however, urged INEC and security agencies to carry out immediate and contingency steps to impede any imminent electoral disorder as the collation of results commences.
Source: Legit.ng
