The group said by permitting the bypass of the BVAS, INEC has effectively rolled back the gains of electoral reform recorded in recent times.

The Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room has expressed disappointment with the conduct of Saturday’s off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states, describing it as a major setback in the nation’s democratic development.

In a statement on Monday in Abuja, Situation Room said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not show that it had learned from the challenges it faced in conducting the general elections eight months ago.

“These elections represent a major setback in Nigeria’s democratic development,” it said in statement signed by its convener, Yunusa Ya’u, and co-conveners, Mimidoo Achakpa and Franklin Oloniju.

The group said “the disturbing reports of high levels of results falsification and other forms of electoral irregularities in the governorship elections in the three states raise serious questions about the credibility of elections and the future of democracy in Nigeria.

It, therefore, called on INEC to “fully review the elections in Kogi and Imo States to identify the incidents of malpractice that took place and reflect the genuine vote of the people.”

It also called for an independent audit of election administration in Nigeria and compliance with electoral law by INEC.

“Without this, we are worried that not much improvement can be achieved,” it added.


Irregularities observed

The Situation Eoom said in its observation report that the elections were marred specifically by logistical challenge, delay in the commencement of voting, over voting, violence and vote buying.

It said that only 29 per cent of the polling units in Imo State had commenced voting by the official time of 8:30 a.m.

In Bayelsa, 66 per cent of polling units started at the scheduled time while 86 per cent compiled in Kogi states.

The group reported that election officials did not turn up in several polling units in Ideato North and Ideato South LGAs and a few polling units in Orlu, Orsu, Okigwe and Oru East LGAs.

“The failure of INEC to turn up disenfranchised voters in the affected areas,” it stated.

“Voting in Bayelsa State was affected by the incidents of the capsized boat in Southern ljaw LGA and the abduction of INEC’s Supervisory Presiding Officer assigned to Registration Area 06 (Ossioma) in Sagbama.”

While the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) performed optimally in most polling units, the group said it worried about INEC’s failure to address reports of over voting as contained in the Electoral Act (2022).

“The inability of INEC to synchronise the record of accreditation by the BVAS with the Result Viewing Portal (IReV Portal) in real time despite improved access to internet broadband in Nigeria is questionable. By permitting the bypass of the BVAS, INEC has effectively rolled back the gains of electoral reform recorded in recent times,” it added.


The group also condemned commission’s management of results in areas where there were reports of falsification of results.

It said: “INEC had acknowledged incidents of pre-filled result sheets before the commencement of polls affecting 5 LGAs in Kogi State -Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Mangongo, Okehi and Okene. Regrettably, INEC has gone ahead to collate results from these LGAs without conducting any thorough investigation and making its findings public. This is condemnable.”

In Imo State, the group said, INEC uploaded results of polling units where voting did not take place on the election results viewing portal (IReV).

The group added that politicians attempted to exploit INEC’s weaknesses to tamper with results in Bayelsa State, especially in Brass, Sagbama, Southern ljaw and Nembe LGAs.

“These incidents question INEC’s integrity and the willingness and ability of the Commission to conduct credible elections. To ascertain the depth of the damage, Situation Room is calling on the Commission to release data of accredited voters as recorded on the BVAS and total votes cast on a local government basis in these states,” it said.

The Situation Room report also noted some pockets of violence recorded in the three states.

In Bayelsa State, it said, one of its observers was chased out of the Ward Collation Centre in Ogbia township by personnel of the Nigerian Army while another observer with the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) was attacked and her phone confiscated by a party agent in polling unit 003, Ogboloma Town Square, Ward 11, Kolokuma LGA without any intervention from the security agents present at the polling unit.

The group said its partners also reported 19 incidents of violence by noon on election day in the three States.

“These incidents of violence were recorded in Anyigba, Dekina LGA of Kogi State, Sagbama and Brass of Bayelsa State and Ikeduru LGA of Imo State,” it said.

The report added, “It will seem that security agents deployed for election duty, rather than help in securing the process and ensuring its integrity, they opted to collude with politicians and even in some cases, protected the politicians, enabling them to indulge in vote buying and other conducts that compromised the elections in these three states.

“The Commercialisation of Nigeria’s elections appears to have reached unprecedented heights. Political parties and their agents operated openly and with impunity, distributing money in the purchase of votes without any effort from the security agents to contain it.

“Sums paid at polling units ranged from N1,000 to N30,000, along with cooked and uncooked food items. There has to be an effective mechanism to halt politicians weaponizing poverty to win elections in Nigeria.”

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/643069-conduct-of-imo-kogi-bayelsa-polls-a-major-setback-situation-room.html

Democracy is dead and buried in our nation.
The final burial of democracy in Nigeria was done on the 26th day of October 2023.

What you have in our nation right now is criminocracy. A government of criminals, desecrators of the constitution , certificate forgers, drug dealers , hijackers and all kind of criminals.

Executive, judiciary, legislature , Inec, institutions, etc . It is a complete criminocracy takeover.
Nothing good can ever come out from these criminal set up.

Can't you see the country is in complete shamble. Nothing is making sense as a nation.

Truth be said, if nothing is done urgently, Nigeria is heading to total collaspe.

Democracy is dead!

Something has to give soonest!

DMerciful:
Democracy is dead!

Something has to give soonest!

Democracy is not dead in Nigeria.

Democracy has issues that can be fixed. Thugs have hijacked our democracy.

Just like the group suggested, an independent auditing company should have real-time access to INEC data during elections.

Just like Deloitte does to BBNaija, they should review the electoral laws to engage auditing companies that will work with INEC. The company will also ensure that all the big sums INEC usually ask for during elections were actually spent on the right purpose.

Finally, those caught stealing ballot boxes should be shot on sight. Arresting them is just unnecessary.

This is something that PDP, LP and other popular APC legislators owe the country.

Who will do it? The political class that compromises INEC to rig elections?

SoNature:


Democracy is not dead in Nigeria.

Democracy has issues that can be fixed.

Just like the group suggested, an independent auditing company should have real-time access to INEC data during elections.

Just like Deloitte does to BBNaija, they should review the electoral laws to engage auditing companies that will work with INEC. The company will also ensure that all the big sums INEC usually ask for during elections were actually spent on the right purpose.

Finally, those caught stealing ballot boxes should be shot on sight. Arresting them is just unnecessary.

DMerciful:
Who will do it? The political class that compromises INEC to rig elections?

Check the comment again. I saw this question coming and updated my comment.

In 1999, the electoral law didn't recognise tech-driven voting. Today, the law does. Omo-Agage and his committee reviewed the electoral laws and gave us what we have today. It can be better. All politicians aren't as bad as we think they are.

SoNature:


Democracy is not dead in Nigeria.

Democracy has issues that can be fixed. Thugs have hijacked our democracy.

Just like the group suggested, an independent auditing company should have real-time access to INEC data during elections.

Just like Deloitte does to BBNaija, they should review the electoral laws to engage auditing companies that will work with INEC. The company will also ensure that all the big sums INEC usually ask for during elections were actually spent on the right purpose.

Finally, those caught stealing ballot boxes should be shot on sight. Arresting them is just unnecessary.

This is something that PDP, LP and other popular APC legislators owe the country.

You are very small boy.
.

vanunu:


You are very small boy.
.

Save the insult; be an adult and make sense for once in your miserable life!

There is no difference between Saturday election Nov 11, 2023 and 2007 election where INEC wrote results and the people's votes never counted.

You're pretending not to know whats going on

SoNature:


Check the comment again. I saw this question coming and updated my comment.

In 1999, the electoral law didn't recognise tech-driven voting. Today, the law does. Omo-Agage and his committee reviewed the electoral laws and gave us what we have today. It can be better. All politicians aren't as bad as we think they are.

It's a joke.

The real problem with the Nigerian is that we barely think beyond our next meal. We give no thought to the long term (eg 50 years) effect of the careless things we do now. We believe we can commit any atrocity and go back to the Middle Eastern God and get forgiveness. This is also why we beg and vilify people that we have erred against.


Ban religion in Nigeria and replace it with a functional penal system and see things work.

SoNature:


Democracy is not dead in Nigeria.

Democracy has issues that can be fixed. Thugs have hijacked our democracy.

Just like the group suggested, an independent auditing company should have real-time access to INEC data during elections.

Just like Deloitte does to BBNaija, they should review the electoral laws to engage auditing companies that will work with INEC. The company will also ensure that all the big sums INEC usually ask for during elections were actually spent on the right purpose.

Finally, those caught stealing ballot boxes should be shot on sight. Arresting them is just unnecessary.

This is something that PDP, LP and other popular APC legislators owe the country.

Thanks!

Don't mind those insultive and destructive pessimists!

Dino likes his shoes just like I do 😂 😂 😂

DMerciful:
Democracy is dead!

Something has to give soonest!

Honestly speaking, nothing like democracy in Nigeria

Feb Election was a joke compared to what happened last weekend.

Politicians now have a new motto...win first then explain later. You never win, you dy wait to go court go explain

You go explain taya...

I CAN SEE THOSE 12-13 SPANNERS LINE UP TO VOTE THEIR ENEMIES, AWON ONIRANU OLUYA, HOW MANY POLITICIANS KEEP THEIR FAMILY IN NIGERIA, NIGERIAN CITIZEN FOREVER SICK WHEN COME TO DEMOCRACY

The person who wrote this must be ipob according to agbadorians

D only thing I noticed is d level of decay or dilapitation of the primary schs used as center of voting... Isn't it a shameful thing.... Na only election period politicians they go all dis schs

Nigeria clam to practice Democracy when they don't

Anybody expecting free and fair elections is joking.
I don't blame Tinubu at all.

Anywhere Buhari is, he will never know peace. Man is a curse to humanity.

SoNature:


Democracy is not dead in Nigeria.

Democracy has issues that can be fixed. Thugs have hijacked our democracy.

Just like the group suggested, an independent auditing company should have real-time access to INEC data during elections.

Just like Deloitte does to BBNaija, they should review the electoral laws to engage auditing companies that will work with INEC. The company will also ensure that all the big sums INEC usually ask for during elections were actually spent on the right purpose.

Finally, those caught stealing ballot boxes should be shot on sight. Arresting them is just unnecessary.

This is something that PDP, LP and other popular APC legislators owe the country.

Ur comment gave me hope. Nigerians must learn to fight to demand for a better electoral system. That is what is very vital for us instead of JAPA up and down. We actually have the worse opposition parties on earth. They are supposed to be pushing for these things.

Elluupee situation room... NZOGBU NZOGBU... Its always WE NO GO GREE OOO WE NO GO GREE...

A scam of a country. Imo election was a shameful thing. Infact we're tire mehn...

Tntsi:
Democracy is dead and buried in our nation.
The final burial of democracy in Nigeria was done on the 26th day of October 2023.

What you have in our nation right now is criminocracy. A government of criminals, desecrators of the constitution , certificate forgers, drug dealers , hijackers and all kind of criminals.

Executive, judiciary, legislature , Inec, institutions, etc . It is a complete criminocracy takeover.
Nothing good can ever come out from these criminal set up.

Can't you see the country is in complete shamble. Nothing is making sense as a nation.

Truth be said, if nothing is done urgently, Nigeria is heading to total collaspe.

That is the conjecture of an ObiZombie mind that you are. You didn’t and can’t see anything positive in Nigeria, which means nothing positive will happen to you and your generation. All of these, because your third class graduate that comes third in an election wants to be the President. He can be the President of the Biafra republic.

Indeed

Yoruba people are setting this country backwards, even worse than the North we all accuse of setting this country backwards.

During OBJ tenure, A Yoruba man.
Election was clearly Selection, not to talk of being free and fair.

Yar' Adua came in, he improved many things.

GEJ came, infact he conceded defeat when Buhari won him, that's an iconic improvement in the history of our Democracy.

Buhari, A Northerner even made it better than GEJ buy introducing BVAS.

Another Yoruba man again Tinubu, made sure to sabotage Buhari's effort by bribing INEC.

Now he's the winner, elections keeps getting worse.

Yorubas are the people holding this country from progressing, not the Northerners.

This…

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Ok

When are we going to get it right in this country?