By Abiodun Folarin (From Ado Ekiti)
WorldStage– A civil society organisation, Yiaga Africa, has expressed concern over widespread allegations of vote buying in the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election, even as it commended the significant improvement in election logistics and the generally peaceful conduct of the exercise.
Speaking with journalists on Saturday, during the election, Yiaga Africa’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, said the organisation’s observation showed marked progress in the deployment of election materials and personnel compared to the 2022 governorship election.
According to him, by 7:30 a.m. in the 2022 election, only 27 per cent of polling units had commenced operations. However, in the current election, over 68 per cent of polling units had opened by the same time, while 99 per cent had commenced voting and accreditation by 10:30 a.m.
“From Yiaga Africa’s perspective, there has been a remarkable improvement in logistics. In 2022, by 7:30 a.m., only 27 per cent of polling units had opened, but this time over 68 per cent had commenced operations. By 10:30 a.m., 99 per cent of polling units had recorded commencement. So far, logistics have been impressive and represent a significant improvement,” Itodo said.
Despite the positive assessment of logistics, Itodo identified vote buying as the organisation’s biggest concern.
“The biggest worry, which we had predicted before the election, is vote buying. At this moment, it is still premature to determine whether the turnout being witnessed is a result of voters’ free choice or has been influenced by inducements. However, the level of vote buying observed during this election is deeply troubling,” he stated.
He described the development as a missed opportunity for stakeholders who had pledged to curb electoral malpractice and strengthen the integrity of the electoral process.
On the overall conduct of the election, Itodo said the atmosphere remained largely peaceful, although some incidents of violence were recorded in a few areas.
“Generally, the election environment has been peaceful. However, our Election Observation Hub, working with several partner organisations, verified and confirmed incidents of violence in some local government areas that had previously been identified as hotspots,” he said.
According to him, local governments including Ikole, Oye and Ilejemeje recorded varying levels of election-related violence.
He expressed confidence that security agencies would respond effectively to any emerging threats and ensure a secure collation process.
“We hope the security agencies will fulfil their promise that any incidents or threats will be promptly neutralised. The collation process must be secure, transparent and open to prevent unnecessary tension,” he added.
Itodo also disclosed that Yiaga Africa was closely monitoring the deployment of the electronic Form e-EC8A, a new innovation introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for result management.
He explained that under the new process, presiding officers are required to enter polling unit results electronically on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), transmit the results and upload scanned copies for public access.
“At the moment, I am observing the use of the e-EC8A at a polling unit. We want to see how the BVAS functions in transmitting results electronically. Transparency in result management is critical, and we expect INEC to uphold this principle throughout the process,” he said.
He maintained that, despite the challenges recorded, the election remained on course and stakeholders should focus on ensuring transparency and credibility during the collation and declaration of results.
