NBA panel identifies irregularities

By Yusuf Alli 

 

NBA President, Joseph Daudu

The Election Working Group of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday said there was ballot box snatching during Saturday’s governorship poll in Kogi State.

The group, however, described the cases of ballot box snatching as isolated.

It also claimed that the turn out of voters was marginal because of the fear of violence and electoral “fatigue”.

The NBA group made its position known in an interim report released to the media on the poll.

The report was signed by the Chairman of the EWG, Mr. Dafe Akpedeye (SAN) and the Alternate Chairman, Mr. Festus Okoye.

The statement said: “NBA EWG Observers observed isolated incidents of ballot box snatching and intimidation of electoral officials. 

“Most Presiding Officers and poll clerks conveyed electoral materials on their heads from the ward distribution centres to the polling units because of lack of mobility.

“In some of the Polling Units, the Presiding Officers were secretive and refused to disclose the total number of ballot papers issued to them.

“Some of the Party Agents behaved in a manner inconsistent with the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections. They printed Party Accreditation Tags of different sizes and colours and this made it difficult to distinguish the genuine and fake party agents.

“The size of some of the Polling Units in Kogi State created problem for Presiding Officers and security agencies. For instance, Ganaga village polling station 007 had a total registered voter population of 3,279. Kwankoto Polling Unit 001 had a total voter population of 1309. Open Space 002, Opposite Mami Market had a total registered population of 1, 625. LGEA School, Felele 004 had a total voter population of 2, 587.  

“In Emiworo Unit 020, the total registered voters was 1, 440. In Ganaga Township, Ascol Camp Primary School, the total registered voters was 1, 007. Inside Mami Market, 022, it had a total registered voter population of 1, 407.”

On the turn out of voters, the NBA said it was marginal because many voters had the apprehension that their votes might not count.

The statement added: “The voter turnout in the election was marginal. In some of the polling units, voter turnout was high while in other ones, the voter turnout was not really impressive. 

“Apparently, heightened rhetoric by the main political gladiators before the election gave the impression that violence was in the air and this scared some of the voters from coming out to exercise their franchise.

“Some of the voters also complained of electoral fatigue and the fact that at the end of the day, their votes may not count. “

The Bar, however, described the security arrangement as adequate.

The statement said: “The leadership of the various services made adequate security arrangement for the election. The Police, State Security Service, Army, Navy, Customs, Immigration, Civil Defence Corp, Federal Road Safety Commission, Traffic Wardens, the Prison Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency all combined to provide a security cordon in and around Kogi State. 

“They also provided adequate security cover for the Presiding Officers and poll clerks. This gave the electoral officers the confidence to carry out their assignments without fear of molestation. 

“The security agents also provided perimeter security on the roads and displayed some level of civility and professionalism in their conduct. They deployed on time and strategically and provided security on the roads in such a manner as to show readiness to confront any threat to the peace. 

“The gubernatorial election was conducted under a peaceful and transparent atmosphere. The voters queued up and maintained the lines on their own throughout the period of accreditation and voting. The voters did not show signs of desperation and did not engage in conducts with the capacity to threaten the peace.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission should, as a matter of national emergency enforce the provision of the Electoral Act 2010, requiring Political Parties to submit the list of their party agents and their data to the Electoral Officers in the Local Governments at least seven days before any election. This will make it possible to pin down party agents to particular polling units and make the arrest of those that breach the law on Election Day possible.”

SOURCE: The Nation,  5 December 2011. http://www.thenationonlineng.net