The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has released the preliminary findings of its observation of the October 10, 2020 gubernatorial election in Ondo State where it commended voters across the State for demonstrating resilience in exercising their franchise and defending the sanctity of the ballot in very challenging conditions.
CDD Director, Idayat Hassan who presented the Centre’s report at a news conference in Akure, the Ondo State capital highlighted a number of laudable developments, as well as challenges which characterized the electoral process.
The group outlined the timely arrival of INEC to the polling across the state as a commendable feat, while pointing out the positive effect the early arrival would have had on the process was affected by the morning rains, which disrupted voting, and upended the resolve to adhere to COVID-19 protocols.
The group said: “Our observation of the effectiveness of logistics deployment for the election indicated a general trend of timeliness in the arrival of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). CDD commends INEC for going the whole hog to ensure materials arrived early at most of the polling units. INEC officials and security agents arrived most of the Polling Unit across between the hour of 7am and 8am.”
CDD also pointed out that towards the end of voting there was an upsurge in attacks targeted at INEC officials. “As the time of reporting CDD has been receiving reports of attacks targeted at INEC staff and personnel. In Akure South LGA, CDD observers reported cases of hoodlums chasing away Registration Area Centres (RAC) technicians.
Adding that If RAC techs are chased out of the polling units and prevented from carrying out their duties, it compromises the transparency of the process because the upload of results unto the INEC Results Viewing Platform is important to the system.
“The same RAC techs are the ones who have the responsibility to maintain Smart Card Readers. Preventing them from doing their duty also creates problems in the area of maintaining card readers, which develop fault in the course of the election. These and similar incidents occurred in Ward 05, PU 008, Odigbo LGA, Arogbo II, PU 001, Ward 7, Ese Odo LGA, Ward 06, PU 007, Ward 02 PU 16 in Idanre LGA, and Ward 4 PU 09, 11, 12 and 13, Ilaje LGA.”
The body, however, commended the voters saying despite the challenges encountered in the process, “CDD reserved praise for voters across Ondo State, whom it noted demonstrated resilience to exercise their franchise and in many cases defend the sanctity of the ballot in very challenging conditions”.
“CDD observers documented cases in which voters insisted on going ahead with the process in the rain. In Ose LGA, despite the heavy rain, voters defied the weather to exercise their franchise. In Akure North LGA, materials arrived on time, but the rain held up the process, and officials attempted to move voting to an enclosed space.
“This move was however resisted by voters. CDD commends the resilient disposition of voters and their resolve to protect the sanctity of the vote. In Ward 5, Polling Unit 07, Akure South LGA, observers reported that the accreditation and voting process was going on smoothly, until it began to rain. Even though no canopies were available to provide shelter, party agent, and several voters remained under the rain to keep a close watch on the ballot box alongside security personnel and INEC officials.”
Speaking on the issue of vote buying, the body highlighted positive trends where voters resisted attempts by political actors to induce them to sell their votes. “CDD observers documented instances in which voters revolted against political actors trying to induce them to sell their vote.
“This was documented in Idanre (Ward 3, PU 6; Ward 8, PU 1, 2 and 3; and Ward 5 PU 1). In all those cases, voters insisted they wished to vote for person of their choice; there was a debate, and some were of the opinion that the money should be collected while the voters should vote their conscience. In the end majority of voters rejected money and chased the voter buyers away from the Polling Unit. All these, CDD observers reported, happened in the presence of security personnel.”
Notwithstanding these few exemplary cases where citizens pushed back against vote buying, CDD lamented that political actors still devised structured ways to engage in vote buying. “We observed a consistent pattern of vote buying, wherein those engaged in this electoral offence adopted tactics to induce voters, while evading the watch of security officials and election observers.
The body’s observers also documented attempts by political actors to outspend one another by making available large sums disbursed to community leaders for onward distribution to voters. Adding that their observation showed that where in the past the modus operandi has been to distribute cash discreetly at points close to the polling unit, the new found tactic is to create outposts where voters can go to collect cash after providing they voted for the vote buying party.
Other vote buying trends as highlighted in the preliminary reported included earmarking of bulk sums ranging from N150,000 to N600,000 for each polling unit across the LGA. The group said during the election, the monies handed were distributed to popular figures, especially leaders of youth groups to share to voters in their areas.
“Our observers reported that party agents largely stayed away from coordinating vote buying. CDD observed that political parties designated someone, who is not a party agent, but appears to be neutral to direct voters to an outpost where cash could be distributed,” the group concluded.
Packaged by Olanrewaju Agiri and Emmanuel Adeniran
