POST-ELECTION REPORT ISSUED BY THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION ELECTION WORKING GROUP (NBA EWG) ON THE ANAMBRA STATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS HELD ON THE 16TH OF NOVEMBER, 2013
INTRODUCTION
The Anambra State Gubernatorial Elections were held and concluded on the 16th of November, 2013. The Election took place in all the 21 Local Government Areas of Anambra State. A total of 4,608 polling units were used by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a total of 1, 784, 536 voters were registered to vote. The NBA observer group comprised of about 30 observers including the NBA Election Working Group and members from our 6 Anambra State branches. Our team of observers were able to cover all the 21 Local Governments Areas in the State
PREPARATION FOR THE ELECTION
The pre-election environment was relatively peaceful, most of the political parties carried out their campaigns in a non-violent and civil manner. Security personnel were deployed to the various polling units in good time. INEC also had training and briefings with observers and distributed a list comprising of the number of registered voters and the list of polling units in all the 4,608 polling units in Anambra State. Prior to the Election, INEC had several meetings with political parties and other stakeholders to ensure that everyone adhered to the electoral guidelines and regulations to ensure a hitch free election devoid of violence and other electoral malpractices.
SETTING UP AND ACCREDITATION
The voters’ accreditation exercise for the Anambra State Gubernatorial elections was scheduled to start at 8:00am but it was observed that set up of polling units and accreditation of voters in some local governments started relatively late but in some other Local Government Areas it was set up early. This is attributable to late arrival of INEC officials and materials for the election. For instance, at places visited in Idemili North Local Government in some wards, eg Ogidi Ward accreditation started between 8:00am – 8:30 am but in Awka South Local Government Area particularly at Umunono Hall PU/007 & 008, as at 10:30am no INEC official nor voting materials had arrived, In Idemili North Local Government Area, in Awada Primary School, PU 003 and Nwaziki Playground PU 004 as at 9:45am, no INEC officer had arrived at the polling unit so also at Nkpor Junction PU 010, 011, 012, 013. In some Polling Units visited in Onitsha South Local Government accreditation started early. It was also observed that some of the polling units visited that some of the voters came with cards that had a different picture from that in the voters register. This was the case in Aguata Local Government Area.
VOTING PROCESS/VOTERS’ TURNOUT
Voting commenced almost immediately after accreditation in most of the Polling Units visited by our team. Voters conducted themselves properly and in an orderly manner but the turnout were relatively poor especially when compared to the number of voters in each polling unit in Anambra State. Voting started at about 12.30 pm in most of the polling units visited.
In most of the polling units visited, INEC officials did not paste copies of the register on the walls of the polling units for the voters to confirm their names and thereafter come for accreditation, nor did they paste the name and number of the polling unit on the wall. A number of the voters questioned did not know the name or number of the polling unit. In some other cases voters who had lost their voters card and were able to trace their serial numbers on the register did not receive accreditation. In Uruezide polling unit in Alor ward 1, Idemili South local government some of the voters who had their voters’ card could not find their names in the voter register.
COUNTING PROCESS & RESULTS DECLARATION
The counting process was done in a participatory manner in all the locations we observed. This method helped in showing some level of transparency in the different polling units observed. Ballot papers were sorted out according to political parties and the invalid ballot papers were separated afterwards counting was done and witnessed by all.
The results were declared after the counting of the ballot papers by the Presiding Officers in the various polling units. The results were entered into the result sheet and signed by party agents before pasting on the wall of the polling station in accordance with INEC regulations.
SECURITY REPORTS
Security was commendable. In most of the polling units, our team of observers recorded a minimum of 3 security agents comprising of the police and civil defense, in each polling units. The security personnel’s conducted themselves in a civil and orderly manner. There were also military patrols and checkpoints in all the area councils.
PARTY AGENTS
Out of the 23 political parties that were set to participate in the election, party agents present at the polling units visited by our team were mostly drawn from APGA, PDP, APC and Labour Party. The party agents conducted themselves well and worked with the INEC officials and security agents in each polling unit visited.
GENERAL OVERVIEW
1. The Nigerian Bar Association Election Working Group observed that there was generally a poor turnout of voters especially when compared to the number of registered voters in the voters’ register in the Anambra Gubernatorial Elections.
2. The security agencies cooperated and mounted effective security in and around the polling units.
3. INEC officials were not very adequate in most of the polling units visited.
4. In some of the polling units visited the NYSC adhoc staff refused to work saying that they had not been paid.
5. INEC would need to improve in its deployment of electoral materials and officials to polling units
6. Some of the polling units were haphazardly located especially in the outskirts, setting up polling units under trees in some areas where there were public schools located not far away from the tree. This was inconvenient to the voters and, ultimately the umpires themselves, thereby making accreditation of voters very cumbersome and problematic.
7. Our Team also observed the presence of under-aged people loitering around the polling units.
8. Civic education was lacking on the part of INEC and the political parties. We noted that there were instances of elderly and illiterate persons going to cast votes without a clue as to who was being voted for and for what purpose.
9. The election was generally peaceful, but it was marred by a lot of logistics challenges which INEC has to look into.
Elections conducted in polling units in some local governments in the Anambra State gubernatorial elections have been cancelled by INEC. Ayamelum had elections cancelled in three polling units, in Anambra East, election were cancelled in one polling unit with 250 registered voters, Anambra West had six polling units cancelled with 2,000 voters, Aniocha had one polling unit cancelled, Awka North had two polling units cancelled, Aguata had one polling unit cancelled, Awka South had one polling unit cancelled, Ekwusigo had 10 polling units cancelled, Idemili North had 160 polling units cancelled, Idemili South had one polling unit cancelled, Nnewi South had two polling units cancelled, Onitsha North had one polling unit cancelled, Onitsha South had 17 polling units cancelled, Orumba North had four polling units cancelled, and Oyi had four polling units cancelled.
In the light of these cancellations can we then say that elections were held in Anambra State and if yes, were they free and fair? Materials got to most part of Anambra central senatorial district late in most areas and even after accreditation in others parts. This was more apparent in Awka and Idemili north and south LGAs. We do believe that these anomalies had effect on the results, as most voters were disenfranchised. That having regard of the number of registered voters in this area, we believe that it can substantially affect the overall result. Therefore, supplementary election should be conducted in those areas.
We also observed that parties were involved in vote buying at the various polling units. Parties have shifted from ballot box snatching to outright buying of votes at the polling station.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• The Electoral Act, 2010 as amended should be further amended to give Presiding Officers the discretion to create a separate queue for senior citizens. Some senior citizens had a hectic time coping with younger elements on the queue even though they were allowed in some instances to have the first go. Some of them could hardly withstand the harsh weather and the surging crowds in some of the polling units. The creation of a separate queue for senior citizen will encourage them to remain engaged with the electoral process and continue to perform their civic responsibility.
• The Independent National Electoral Commission should accelerate the process of constituency delineation. Some of the Polling Units are located in front of or too close to residential buildings despite the availability of schools and other public places near such dwellings. The location of some of these polling units in front of or very proximate to people’s houses does not make for secrecy of the votes and independent electoral action by the voters. It is important to move such polling stations away from residential accommodation and awkward locations to schools and public places.
• The Independent National Electoral Commission should move towards the use of Electronic Voting Machines for elections, as INEC has indicated that it has the capacity to use such process, which it used to collate results in the collating centers.
• INEC needs to deploy adequate officials in each polling unit for future elections.
• Stakeholder, especially political parties, should carry out more effective civic education to increase the electorate’s involvement in future elections.
• The police and other security agencies should have enhanced enlightenment on the various electoral offences so as to have a clear understanding of their responsibilities in this regard.
• Unaccredited members of the public including the under aged should not be allowed to loiter in the voting precinct
Thank you
Dafe Akpedeye, SAN
Chairman Election Working Group
