Hands Across Africa’s Report on Ekiti 2018 Gubernatorial Election

The 14th July, 2018 Ekiti State Gubernatorial election is critical for many reasons especially because it is one of the off-circle elections that will be conducted in Nigeria before the 2019 general elections. Hence, it serves as a test ground for INEC and Civil Society Organizations like Hands Across Africa Development Initiatives to ascertain the level of preparedness by INEC to conduct a free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria. Also as an organization that works around youth issues, the Ekiti gubernatorial election provides the opportunity to observe the welfare of the Youth Corp Members employed by INEC to administer the election, starting from Registration Area Centres (RAC). Most importantly, Ekiti State being a state that shares not just boundary but also cultural and political dynamics with Kogi State where Hands Across Africa Development Initiatives operates, we believe base on historical accounts, that the dynamics of Ekiti State election may also play out in Kogi State election coming up few months after the 2019 general elections. Hence, the need for us to observe the Ekiti State election and make recommendations in preparation towards the Kogi State off circle gubernatorial election in 2019.

Hands Across Africa Development Initiative deployed non stationary observer to observe the Ekiti July, 14th Gubernatorial election across four (4) Local Government Areas in Ekiti State, namely; Ado-Ekiti, Emuro, Ise-Orun and Ikere Local Government Areas to gather information on the credibility of the election. In other to achieve this, Hands Across Africa Development Initiative sought accreditation through YIAGA Africa on the Watching The Vote (WTV) project.

Pre-Election Observation

Intimidation of Observers by the Police: We observed that observers were intimidated and even arrested by overzealous police officers deployed for the election on the suspicion of impersonation. For instance, some YIAGA Africa Watching The Vote Observers were arrested and detained a day before the election for about six (6)hours on returning from the INEC office where they went to pick up their kits, despite identifying themselves and explaining to the police. It took the intervention of the team to secure their release.

Irresponsible Reportage: We discovered that media both within and outside the state reported happenings in Ekiti with captions and stories to climax the media space for selfish reasons, therefore heating up the political space and painting the situation of a war zone in Ekiti.

Election Day Observation

Over Policing: We discovered that as much as the deployment of security in elections has its advantages, we observed that the numbers of security agents deployed to Ekiti State was too much and it may have affected voter turnout in the elections. Thirty thousand police officers, excluding military and other security outfits may have given the electorates ideas that the election is going to be violent. Also, the presence of security agents most of the times do not appeal to the people.

Vote Buying and Selling: Hands Across Africa Development Initiative observed across all polling unit in all the Local Government Areas visited vote selling and buying. Political Party agents of both the APC, PDP, of other political parties and Voters carried out the act of vote buying and selling openly. It was the motivation for electorates to select candidates to vote in the election.

Priority Voting: We also observed that the vulnerable groups were given priority at most of the polling units we visited. The voters on queue, political party agents, security agents and the election administrator all allowed the vulnerable groups to vote unhindered without intimidation or objection. However, there are still some polling units where vulnerable people are not allowed priority voting.

Introduction of Brail Ballot Papers/Magnifiers: In most of the polling units visited, Brail Ballot Papers were noticed. Magnifiers were seen in just few Polling Units.

Accessible Polling Units: We also observed that polling units were situated at places accessible to People Living with Disabilities, except for few which are situated at corridors of classroom blocks which will be difficult for a person on wheel chair to access. No ramps were noticed on the corridor and also wooden ramps were not provided by INEC.

Fake Observers: We discovered some persons in a loaded bus all impersonating to be observers at Ikere Local Government Area. Upon interaction with them, they claimed they are Dynamic Consults’ Observers under United Nations. Upon our confirmation of their fake status through the observer list we had, we reported the matter to Police Officers on patrol who told us there is nothing they can do because they cannot confirm their authenticity or not.

In the preparation for the 2019 elections and beyond, INEC, Police and other relevant stakeholders must start putting in place necessary actions and policies to ensure those situations are curbed to forestall further happening and strengthen our electoral process. Therefore, Hands Across Africa Development Initiative recommend the following;

INEC and Police should commence sensitization and training of security agencies on the role of observers in elections and the processes of the elections as regard observers to forestall election observers from police intimidation and maltreatment.

INEC, Police, Media Editors and Executives and Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation should understand the importance of election in our Democratic Development and the adverse effect of publishing inciting and unverified reportage to the over-all development of Nigeria. On this note, the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation must as a matter of urgency intensify the monitoring and regulation of media agencies and mete out sanctions accordingly in respect to the media regulation laws. We commend the swift action on Ekiti Broadcasting Service, we recommend same to other media houses that violates the laws.

Election is a civil engagement and as such, should be treated and regarded as such. In respect of the fact above, the Nigerian Police and other Security Agencies must approach elections as a civil engagement and stop approaching it in a manner that can be likened to ta war by reducing the numbers of Personnel deploy for elections. The act of over-policing elections, we have found out instill fear in electorates and therefore leads to low voter turnout and constant clashes with men of the force and civilians.

INEC, Security Agencies and other stakeholders must come up immediately with strategies to protect the Secrecy of the Ballot to curb the problem of vote buying and selling which is currently the greatest threat to our Democracy.

Also, INEC, Political Parties, NGOs and other election stakeholders must intensify sensitization around vote buying and selling. Finally, security agencies must stop paying leap service to the issue of vote buying and selling. They must stop pretending as if they do not see it and start arresting and prosecuting perpetuators for the act to forestall continuity.

INEC, NGOs and election stakeholders should encourage priority voting and sensitization should be intensified to ensure it becomes the normative practice in our elections in Nigeria.

INEC should continue the use of brails ballot paper and to ensure the availability of magnifiers in all polling units in subsequent elections to provide for inclusion of People Living with Disabilities (PWD) in our Democratic space.

INEC must ensure that polling unit setups are done to allow for accessibility for People Living with Disabilities (PWD), especially those on wheel chairs.

INEC should as a matter of security share the accredited observer list with non stationery security operatives for easy identification of genuine observers. This will strengthen the security architecture during elections and also protect the genuine observers.

Hands Across Africa Development Initiative remains resolute to free, fair, credible and peaceful elections and the non stop growth of our Democratic Development. It is on this note we call on INEC, Police, Political Parties, NGOs and all stakeholders to put their hands on deck to ensure that we imbibe by the rule of the game and commit to playing our roles at our own level to achieve a Democratic driven Nigeria, where consolidation is the hallmark.

We want to also call on INEC and the security to take the findings here seriously and proffer workable solutions to ensuring these set backs in our electoral process is eliminated.

Finally, all the efforts of the stakeholders will not be complete if the Electorates, Political Parties, NGOs, CBOs and interested parties do not corporate with the reforms and play by the rule for the interest of us all. Elections are a pointer to the quality of Governance we get afterwards.

Hands Across Africa Development Initiative otherwise known as Hands Africa is a Youth led organization with special focus on Good Governance, Human Rights and Political Inclusion in Africa.

– Umar Dan’Assabe Muhammed
Executive Director,
Hands Across Africa Development Initiative (Hands Africa) 08037887104, 08112642092
@Dan_Assabe
Block 1, 1st Floor, Bomi Plaza, Lokongoma, Lokoja, Kogi State.