The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has released its preliminary statement ahead of the Ondo State Governorship election scheduled for Saturday, 16th November 2024.
Addressing a press conference in Akure on Friday, the group pointed out key observations, concerns, and recommendations to ensure that the election process is credible and peaceful.
The Situation Room, a coalition of over 70 civil society organisations has deployed 1,000 trained and accredited observers across the state while also utilising technology through crowdsourcing of voters’ observation.
This effort aims to uphold the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.
Key Observations
INEC’s Preparedness
The coalition hailed the efforts of INEC to improve logistics and ensure that the election process is timely and credible after the experiences in previous elections, such as those of Edo State.
The group insisted on the following critical areas deserving the attention of INEC:
Timely Opening of Polling Units:
Delays could disenfranchise voters and make many people lose confidence in the process
BVAS Functionality: There should be readily available, well-trained personnel for immediate response to such technical issues that may occur, thus preventing voter disenfranchisement.
Priority Voting: Priority voting should be accorded to persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and the aged at all the polling units
Transparent Collation Process: Facilities have to be accessible and open to observers to avoid some of the controversies of the past, in which accusations of collation taking place in unreachable areas occurred
Security Arrangements:
The Situation Room hailed the Nigeria Police Force for assurances of adequate security but pointed out key concerns:
- Non-Intimidating Presence: Deployment of security should not create an atmosphere of fear that may suppress voter turnout.
- Equitable Deployment: Security shall be deployed in both urban and rural areas to ensure there is no disturbance.
- Professionalism: Security agencies must be impartial and take responsibility for a smooth process during the election periods.
Political Parties
The coalition was also worried about poor mobilization by political parties and a recent trend of last-minute endorsements in which three parties stepped down for a major candidate in the last 48 hours.
It called for reforms that would increase the accountability of political parties.
The group also condemned the act of vote-buying and urged political parties to avoid electoral malpractice, warning such acts erode confidence in the democratic process.
It also encouraged INEC to give observers access to all collation centers and ensure at each stage that the process was transparent.
The organization reiterated its commitments to monitoring the election process for accountability.
It called on eligible voters to ensure the right to exercise their civic duty in a peaceful manner, noting that their choices would determine the state’s future.
Authored by Samuel Sodunke