The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has decried alleged vote-buying in the governorship election in Anambra State.

Briefing reporters in Abuja, CDD Director of Research Sa’eed Usaini said that despite concerns over the heavy deployment of security agents, very few incidents of intimidation and violence have been reported, defying the fear and uncertainty that preceded Election Day.

Usaini also said security agents were frequently absent at the commencement of accreditation in several polling units, which likely heightened uncertainty among voters and officials.

He added that persistent incidents of the failure of the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) across numerous polling units, impaired the smooth conduct of the elections and will likely disenfranchise some intended voters.

While further saying that the lateness of officials in commencing accreditation and polling left many voters frustrated, necessitating the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) extension of the voting period until 4 pm, Usaini also said incidents of electoral malpractice, including vote-buying, have been widespread and will likely impact the credibility of results.

“We have also noted widespread incidents of vote-buying that will likely negatively impact the credibility of the election result. CDD observers reported numerous not-so-discreet cases of “see-and-buy” in polling units across the 21 LGAs of the state. In many reported cases, police officers have been alleged to have looked the other way, likely as a result of having themselves been compromised. This practice, which appears to cut across party lines, has been an increasing feature of Nigerian elections and requires more concerted remedial efforts by INEC and other critical stakeholders,” Usaini said.

Speaking on the logistics by INEC during the election, Usaini said reports from CDD’s observers indicated widespread delays in the commencement of accreditation and voting as a result of the late arrival of poll officials.

“For instance, at 9:55 am, CDD observers reported that INEC officials had not arrived at Otolo Ward 2, Nnewi North LGA. Likewise, in Ihiala LGA, observer reports indicate that INEC officials and electoral materials had not arrived at 1 pm. The lateness of officials in commencing accreditation and polling has left many voters frustrated, necessitating INEC’s extension of the voting period till 4 pm and possibly till tomorrow. This will likely contribute to the late closing of the polls and the delayed announcement of the election results,” Usaini said.

CDD further said one repeated occurrence that threatened to mar the quality of the election outcome had been the widely reported failure of the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) across numerous polling units in the state.

“In several instances, the BVAS failed to recognise voters’ faces and fingerprints, and those affected were asked to wait until the challenge was resolved. CDD’s EAC observers also reported malfunctioning of the BVAS in Ayamelum LGA with three polling units affected.

“The wider security atmosphere leading up to the polls has likely impacted INEC’s preparedness, particularly its capacity to train Ad-Hoc staff on the use of the BIVAS technology. In some polling units, INEC officials resorted to the manual methods of accreditation and voting. This was observed in Awka South, Akwa North, Idemili North, Idemili South, and Anambra West. CDD observers further reported that in cases where the BIVAS worked, its pace was frequently slow, leading to longer wait times than necessary for voters.

“In several reported cases, frustrated voters were forced to return home without casting their votes. The resort to manual voting will likely generate uncertainties about the validity of votes cast. This will likely also open up the election to petitions and questions regarding its legitimacy,” CDD said.

In its recommendations, CDD called on security agencies to continue to respect human rights and standard rules of engagement and to secure voters as well as INEC staff and infrastructure.

CDD also called on civic and pro-democracy groups to remain vigilant, especially during the collation and announcement of voting results.

“We urge INEC and its officials to ensure the diligent accounting of votes, especially since voting collation will likely stretch into the night.We urge INEC to properly train its officials in the use of its BVAS devices.

“We implore voters to remain calm and, where possible, to monitor the outcome of the polls up to the announcement of the results. We call on political parties to remain calm and to do nothing to compromise the integrity of the election,” Usaini further said.

(The Sun)

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