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The Nigerian Bar Association has released its findings on the Edo State governorship election held last Saturday, raising concerns over low voter turnout and the influence of money.
PUNCH Online reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission, on Sunday, declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election.
According to the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Faruq Kuta, Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Asue Ighodalo, who scored 247, 274 votes.
He also stated that the candidate of the Labour Party, Olumide Akpata, came a distant third with 22,763 votes.
According to the report jointly signed by the leader of NBA’s Election Working Group, Bolatumi Animashaun, and the General Secretary, Mobolaji Ojibara, the team monitored the poll across all the polling units in the state.
In the report released on Monday, the NBA said its monitoring team observed that voting materials and officials arrived late in many polling units, particularly within Benin City, the state capital.
The association also said its team deployed by the President, Afam Osigwe, observed that in a few polling units, neither INEC personnel nor electoral materials were deployed.
The report read, “It was observed that these delays were caused by logistics challenges that hindered the smooth commencement of the voting process.
“In Egor Ward I, Polling Unit 30, for instance, there were no election materials or INEC officials at all, effectively preventing any voting activity from taking place in this polling unit.
“This lack of preparedness in certain areas is a serious issue that needs to be addressed to ensure elections run smoothly.”
The report also stated that the monitoring team observed instances of vote buying at polling units.
The NBA expressed worry that despite efforts to prevent the menace, money has continued to influence fairness and transparency in Nigeria’s elections.
It said, “Several attempts were observed where political party agents discreetly tried to influence voters with monetary incentives.
“The low voter turnout, the influence of money, and delays in the distribution of election materials were notable concerns.
“However, the conduct of voters, election officials, and security personnel was commendable, contributing to a largely peaceful election process.”
The NBA also stated that there was voter apathy in the election, explaining that the number of voters who turned out at polling units during the election was “notably low”, considering the number of registered voters.
“In polling Unit 10, Ward 4, out of 1,026 registered voters, only 10 were accredited,” it said.
The report, however, noted that some physically challenged persons defied the odds such as the heavy rainfall to cast their votes.
“Despite a heavy downpour of rain during the election, these individuals remained resilient and waited patiently to exercise their civic duty.
“The turnout of physically challenged voters was particularly commendable, as they were given priority treatment at the polling stations, ensuring they could vote with ease,” it said.
The NBA also said that although the Biometric Voter Accreditation System devices functioned effectively in most polling units, the team recorded technical hitches in some areas.
“For instance, in Ward 7, Polling Unit 18, Ugbekw LGA, an ad hoc official of INEC reported that the BVAS device displayed the message ‘No Election Ongoing’ despite the voting process being in progress already,” it said.
The NBA said it equally observed that heavy deployment of security operatives during the election helped in “maintaining order and ensuring that potential security threats were mitigated.
“Even though, there were shootings in Oliha, Ward Two, which hosts five polling units in the Egor Local Council Area.”
It added, “The Nigerian Bar Association Election Working Group (NBA-EWG) observed that the 2024 Edo state governorship election was generally orderly.”
The report added that further observations showed that the number of male voters exceeded that of female voters.
In its recommendations, the NBA stated that INEC should prioritise the timely deployment of election materials and personnel to avoid delays in subsequent elections.
It added, “There is a need for intensified voter education campaigns to restore public trust in the electoral process and encourage greater voter participation, especially among women and youth.
“Stronger measures must be implemented to prevent political parties from using money to influence voters.
“This includes stricter monitoring at polling units and more transparent processes to safeguard the integrity of the electoral system.”
