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Tag: 2019 elections

  • YIAGA Africa says 3.3 % ballots were cancelled in 2019 presidential election

    YIAGA Africa says 3.3 % ballots were cancelled in 2019 presidential election

    YIAGA Africa,a Civil Society Organisation says 3.3 per cent of ballot papers used during 2019 presidential election were cancelled.

    Mr Paul James, Programme Manager, Elections, YIAGA Africa said this while presenting the group’s Watching The Vote Report on Nigeria 2019 Presidential Elections at a round-table  in Abuja.

    According to James, the cancellation was four times higher than that of 2015 election.

    He said that the cancellation in the 2019 presidential election, were announced in all states except the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    He said that YIAGA Africa deployed over 4000 Watching The Vote  observers across the 774 Local Government Areas(LGAs)in the 36 states including the FCT  to monitor pre-election environment,election and post-election.

    “For the 2019 general elections, YIAGA Africa data revealed possible incidents of vote suppression.

    “This is as reflected in the percentage of cancelled ballots in some states with 60,000 or more cancelled ballots –  Rivers, Nasarawa, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Plateau, Kogi, Benue and Kaduna States.

    “Rivers had 1402 Polling Units (PU)and LGAs cancelled with 942 ,368 registered voters  ,Akwa Ibom had 272,Pus canceled in 10 LGAs with 195,799 voters.

    “Kaduna had 89 Pus cancelled with 189,865 voters while Nassarawa had 157,591votes cancelled and Plateau has 126 Pus cancelled in 12 LGAs with 146,355 voters,’’ he said.

    James said that some critical incidents reported during the election were snatching of Election Materials at the Registration Area Center (RAC) in Okrika LGA in Rivers which prevented voting.

    He said that the report also showed that voters were denied access to polling units by political thugs.

    He said that the group while observing the election also witnessed destruction and burning of election materials,threats to media reporters and six journalists were abduction in Ahoada West LGA in Rivers.

    He said that the group also observed disruption of the results collation in some states , military interference harassment among others.

    Mr Samson Itodo , Executive Director ,YIAGA Africa said that the round table was organised to get stakeholders together to talk about voter oppression because  it was becoming a recurring decimal in Nigerian election.

    “We are witnesses to the fact that in recent elections thugs have targeted specific local government or polling units and destruction of election  materials.

    ” People were also  prevented from casting their votes just in a bid to dilute the voting power of a particular geographical space or a particular group,” he said.

    Itodo said that when citizens were deprived  of their rights, democracy lose it vitality because citizens were unable to vote.

    He said that the round table was meant to push  discussion around voter suppression and the need for electoral reform to provide an opportunity to strengthen Nigerian legal framework to prevent institutional voter suppression.(NAN)

  • Bayelsa, Kogi governorship elections: Situation reports impressive

    Bayelsa, Kogi governorship elections: Situation reports impressive

    By Our Reporter

    Situation reports of the conduct of the Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections on the response of security agents and electorate are impressive.

    The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR) says it has deployed no fewer than ninety election observers to Bayelsa for effective monitoring.

    Esther Uzoma, Alternate Chairman of NCSSR, a coalition of civil society organisations, says that the coalition is working in partnership with other stakeholders such as the Police Service Commission to monitor the conduct of the election.

    She says further that NCSSR would collate information from the field to assess the level of compliance with electoral rules and guidelines.

    In Yagba West of Kogi, there is a good early turnout of the electorate for accreditation and voting in some wards.

    One of the electorate, Mr Bayo Ajayi, said that the election was very “peaceful at the moment, as there is no distraction from anywhere.’’

    Although in some wards in Lokoja, some voters complained that their names were missing on the voter register, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission allayed their fear.

    In Bayelsa, although there was initial delay in the arrival of electoral materials from the Registration Area Centres (RAC) to polling units in some wards, there was no report of violence.

    Vehicles conveying both sensitive and non-sensitive materials were seeing ready to move the materials to the appropriate wards at the time of filling this report.

    Mr John Ebiladei, the RAC Manager of Ward 13 and Mr Festus Abulema, the RAC Manager of Ward 12 in the state, said that all the materials would soon leave the RACs to be delivered to the various communities.

    In Yenagoa, although some homes certain areas are submerged in flood, the electorate was ready to vote after accreditation.

    Amid effective security, Mr Pere James, an electorate said “we are still waiting; we cannot go to the units now because we have seen INEC officials.

    “I believe is because of the flood; as you can see, every home is under the water.’’

    Polling stations at Amarata, Ovom, and Opolo areas of Yenogoa opened early as directed by INEC officials.

    At Opolo, Mr James Fefegha, a voter at Unit 6, Ward 2, “the election started early today and materials arrived early and we are waiting to vote already while the atmosphere remains very peaceful.’’

    Also, in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa, election materials arrived in some polling units early enough.

    Assemblyman Salo Adikimo, representing Sagbama Constituency III at the Bayelsa House of Assembly said that he was impressed by the conduct of the election.

    “You can see that the entire ward is calm, there are no threats of crisis, no form of tension; we are prepared to begin voting any moment from now.

    “Our people are fully informed and aware of their responsibility during election, you can be sure that they will be conduct themselves peacefully,’’ he said.

    Another voter in Tumgbo, Mr Tambi Wariebi, also told NAN that he was confident of a hitch-free poll, observing that the presence of security agents in the area gave an assurance of safety and security during the election.(NAN)