By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), through its Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC), has raised concerns over isolated cases of BVAS malfunction, vote buying, electoral inducement and violence in Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.
The CDD-EAC, which is monitoring the election across the state’s 30 Local Government Areas, 332 registration areas/wards and 3,763 polling units, said its preliminary assessment showed that the exercise had been largely operational and peaceful in many locations, although significant challenges persisted.
According to the preliminary statement signed by the Director, CDD-West Africa, Dauda Garuba, PhD, and Chairman, CDD Election Analysis Centre, Professor Victor Adetula, INEC’s deployment was broadly successful, with 89.1 per cent of polling units monitored by CDD observers reporting that electoral officials arrived before 8:30am.
The organisation said its findings were consistent with INEC’s situation report that 3,556 out of the 3,763 polling units, representing 94.5 per cent, had opened by 8:30am, while the remaining 207 units became operational by 9:00am.
However, CDD observers identified delays in some locations, including Ife Central and Aiyedire LGAs.
In Ife Central, Ward 11, PU 011, Ikoyi Quarters, INEC officials were reportedly late, leaving voters waiting, while a political party agent was allegedly in possession of the voters’ register before the arrival of the officials.
CDD-EAC said the allegation required clarification from INEC, particularly on the custody and control of sensitive electoral materials.
The organisation identified the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as one of the major operational challenges in the early phase of voting.
Observers reported slow accreditation and difficulties with fingerprint and biometric verification in parts of Irepodun, Ejigbo, Obokun, Osogbo, Olorunda and Ola Oluwa LGAs.
In Ejigbo, Ward 2B, Unit 15, Enla Osolo, the capturing machine reportedly malfunctioned, while voters in Obokun and Osogbo experienced difficulties with fingerprint authentication.
At Olorunda, Ward 7, Unit 11, the BVAS initially failed to recognise some voters before subsequently accepting them.
Similar difficulties were reported in Ede North and Ede South, where voters experienced delays due to slow BVAS processing.
CDD-EAC urged INEC to respond promptly to technical difficulties to prevent them from disenfranchising voters.
The observers also reported isolated cases of campaign activity and vote solicitation around polling units.
According to CDD-EAC, more serious allegations of vote buying emerged from media monitoring, including a report from Atile, Ikire, in Irewole LGA, where agents of the APC and Accord were allegedly involved in vote buying.
The report alleged that party agents monitored voters around polling booths and used tags to facilitate payments after votes had been cast.
CDD-EAC also reported that an individual was arrested by officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) at Irepodun LGA for allegedly possessing signed paper tallies.
The organisation commended the intervention of the anti-corruption agency but called for a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the materials.
It urged the ICPC, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Police Force and other relevant agencies to investigate credible reports of vote buying and prosecute established violations.
While voting remained peaceful in many areas, CDD-EAC expressed concern over violent incidents recorded at some polling units.
The most significant incident, according to the observers, occurred at Polling Unit 13, Ward 4, Ejigbo LGA, where African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate Najeem Salaam voted.
The organisation said suspected thugs disrupted the polling unit, forcing voters and electoral officials to flee and temporarily halting the voting process. Security personnel were subsequently deployed to the area.
CDD-EAC also noted reports of disruption in Modakeke, including allegations by Governor Ademola Adeleke that voters were tear-gassed in parts of Modakeke and Obokun.
The organisation stressed that the allegations should be independently investigated and not treated as established facts.
It added that a police officer allegedly involved in the Modakeke incident had reportedly been apprehended.
The CDD-EAC called on security agencies to exercise maximum restraint, maintain political neutrality and protect voters irrespective of political affiliation.
CDD-EAC said the overall conduct observed by its field observers remained largely orderly across most monitored locations.
It said polling units were generally arranged in a manner that allowed party agents and observers to monitor the process, while priority was given to persons with disabilities in some locations.
Peaceful voter participation was reported in several LGAs, including Ede North, Olorunda, Ilesa East, Atakunmosa East, Iwo, Orolu, Boluwaduro and Egbedore.
However, isolated cases of disorderliness were recorded in Osogbo and Ola Oluwa LGAs, with reports that elderly voters were not given priority at one polling unit.
CDD-EAC called on INEC to provide functioning backup equipment and prompt technical support at polling units experiencing BVAS failures.
It also urged the Commission to investigate the alleged early possession of the voters’ register by a political party agent in Ife Central and clarify the chain of custody of electoral materials.
The organisation further called for stronger enforcement against campaign activities, vote solicitation and vote buying around polling units.
It demanded investigations into reported cases of violence, particularly in Ejigbo and Modakeke, and urged authorities to hold perpetrators accountable.
CDD-EAC also called for timely public communication whenever voting is delayed, suspended or disrupted.
The organisation urged political parties and candidates to restrain their supporters from violence, voter intimidation, inducement and interference with electoral officials as the process moves into counting and collation.
CDD-EAC said it was too early to make a definitive judgment on the credibility of the entire election, stressing that voting was still ongoing.
It, however, described the preliminary evidence as showing “modest improvement and some vulnerabilities.”
The organisation commended the 2.3 million registered Osun voters who turned out to exercise their democratic rights, as well as INEC officials and security personnel involved in facilitating voting across the state.
It stressed that electoral credibility would ultimately depend not only on the number of polling units opened but also on whether eligible voters were able to cast their ballots freely and without intimidation, inducement or technological obstruction.
CDD-EAC said it would continue monitoring voting, counting and collation and issue a comprehensive post-election assessment after the conclusion of the electoral process.
The statement was signed by Dauda Garuba, PhD, Director, CDD-West Africa, and Professor Victor Adetula, Chairman, CDD Election Analysis Centre, while the press statement was issued by Faridha Salihu-Lukman, Communications Officer, CDD-West Africa.
