Yiaga Africa, a civil society organization, has raised concerns over an attempt to pressure officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into bypassing the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the 2024 Edo State governorship election.
The organization also attributed delays in accreditation and voting to logistical challenges encountered on election day.
Speaking at a press briefing in Benin City, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, Chairperson of the Yiaga Africa 2024 Edo Election Mission, and Samson Itodo, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, noted that despite a tense political climate, the election commenced peacefully with minimal incidents.
“The shortage of vehicles to transport ad hoc officials and election materials, coupled with the lack of security personnel to accompany them, contributed significantly to the delays,” Yiaga Africa reported.
The organization observed that although security agencies were present at many polling units, their deployment was uneven. Some densely populated areas had limited security coverage, raising concerns about the safety of voters and election materials.
Yiaga Africa also expressed alarm over 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.
These incidents, the group warned, could jeopardize the election’s integrity, potentially leading to voter suppression and electoral manipulation.
Commending the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and security forces, Yiaga Africa praised their swift action in arresting suspected vote-buyers at polling units in Egor and Oredo LGAs. However, it noted that in some areas, voters were offered N10,000 per vote, even in the presence of security personnel.
The statement read in part: “Yiaga Africa deployed the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology to monitor the Edo State governorship election. This included 300 stationary and 25 roving observers across all 18 LGAs, covering a representative sample of polling units.”
Yiaga Africa expressed deep concern about reports of intimidation in Akoko-Edo LGA, missing results sheets at Polling Unit 1 in Ward 8, Orhionmwon LGA, and political thugs disrupting voting in Polling Unit 5, Uwessan Ward 2, Esan Central LGA.
“These violations pose a threat to the election process, leading to potential voter suppression and electoral fraud. We urge INEC to strictly enforce its guidelines and resist any pressure to compromise the electoral process,” the group emphasized.
Yiaga Africa also called on the EFCC and security agencies to extend their operations to other LGAs where vote-buying activities were reported.
Additionally, the group applauded the Nigeria Police for arresting and disarming political thugs on the eve of the election, contributing to a safer election day environment.
