(Copied from Thisday)
Forty-eight hours after the presidential and National Assembly elections ended in many parts of the country, there is palpable anxiety amongst the people as criticisms by by the United States, European Union, Common Wealth and international observer groups trail the conduct of the exercise amid allegations of widespread of irregularities, rigging and manipulations of the results.
For instance, yesterday, observers from the United States of America (US), the European Union (EU), African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Commonwealth, all noted the irregularities in the polls.
The International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) Joint Election Observation Mission, noted that inadequate communication and lack of transparency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) created confusion and eroded voters’ trust in the process.
Although more results came in last night, pointing in the direction of a likely winner of the presidential election, agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Dino Melaye, his Labour Party counterpart, Hon. Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Action Peoples Party (APP), Chinemelo Ubah and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), yesterday, staged a walkout at the National Collation Centre in Abuja, alleging that the electoral process was flawed.
But, some other parties like the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Action Alliance (AA) dissociated themselves from what described as a charade.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, however said the process could only be reviewed after the exercise had been concluded.
This nonetheless, Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, yesterday, made history after he defeated his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart in his Lagos base.
The IRI and NDI in their preliminary statement on the Presidential and National Assembly elections, presented in Abuja by their leader, and former President of Malawi, Dr. Joyce Banda, said despite the much-needed reforms to the Electoral Act 2022, the election fell well short of Nigerian citizens’ reasonable expectations.
The foreign observers on the Nigeria 2023 International Election Observation Mission also urged the international community to sanction perpetrators of electoral violence in the ongoing general election in Nigeria.
Those who spoke on the occasion included, Former President of the Republic of Malawi, who is the head of the delegation, Banda, and Ambassador Mark Green, who is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Woodrow Wilson, an International Center for Scholars.
Other speakers included, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, a former Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State; and an IRI Board Member, Constance Berry Newman, who was a former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
They also included NDI Board Member, who is an American political leader, lawyer/ voting rights activist, Stacey Abrams and IRI Board Member, Dana White, a foreign policy and communications advisor.
Banda said, “The delegation observed that late opening of polling locations and logistical failures created tensions and the secrecy of the ballot was compromised in some polling units given overcrowding. At the close of the polls, challenges with the electronic transfer of results and their upload to a public portal in a timely manner, undermined citizen confidence at a crucial moment of the process.
Moreover, inadequate communication and lack of transparency by INEC about their cause and extent created confusion and eroded voters’ trust in the process.
“The combined effect of these problems disenfranchised Nigerian voters in many areas, although the scope and scale is currently unknown. Despite these issues, Nigerians once again demonstrated their commitment to the democratic process.
“Voters displayed extraordinary resilience and resolve to have their voices heard through the ballot, and INEC administered a nationwide election according to the electoral calendar for the first time in the country’s recent history.”
As the nation awaits the results of the February 25 polls and the Nigerian people prepare for upcoming gubernatorial elections, we urge political actors and their supporters to remain calm and exercise restraint.
‘The mission encourages INEC, the government, political actors and civil society to redouble their efforts to deliver on citizen expectations for transparent and inclusive elections, and to ensure that electoral outcomes are a credible expression of the voters’ will.”
On the other hand, Commonwealth observers yesterday stated that the country’s elections were, “largely peaceful,” despite administrative and logistical hurdles at many polling units.
Chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group, former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, delivered his team’s preliminary assessment of the electoral process at a press conference in Abuja, saying Nigerians were largely accorded the right to vote.
Delivering the group’s preliminary assessment, he noted that as voting hours extended into the night due to late openings, some polling units were ill-equipped with proper lighting to facilitate voting and counting in the dark.
Considering the challenges, he encouraged the electoral commission to conduct a thorough post-election review of the electoral process to draw lessons and consider setting up appropriate mechanisms to implement the recommendations of observers.
The chairperson also noted an improvement with the enactment of a new Electoral Act in 2022, which gave the electoral commission more autonomy, legal backing for the use of electronic accreditation of voters and frameworks for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the elections, among other things.
“We congratulate all Nigerians for their determination, patience and resilience displayed throughout the electoral process. We call on all those with grievances to address disputes through prescribed legal channels,” Mbeki said.
In her preliminary report, the EU, stated that, “Nigerians went to the polls in highly anticipated presidential and National Assembly elections that INEC kept on schedule despite a volatile and challenging environment. Fundamental freedoms of assembly and movement were largely respected, yet the full enjoyment of the latter was impeded by insufficient planning, insecurity and the prevailing Naira and fuel shortages.
“Abuse of incumbency by various political office holders distorted the playing field and there were widespread allegations of vote buying. Media provided an extensive coverage of the three leading campaigns, while disinformation interfered with voters’ right to make an informed choice on election day. The EU EOM is continuing its observation of the ongoing collation and tabulation of results throughout the country.
