BY MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR) has commended the conduct of security personnel during Edo governorship election today, describing it as largely professional and free from intimidation.
Yunusa Ya’u, the convener of the NCSSR, shared this assessment in an interim statement to journalists in Benin City, on Saturday.
Yunusa reported that security agents were present and on time in 92% of the polling units observed. However, he highlighted concerns over widespread vote buying, which was reportedly carried out openly at several locations.
He disclosed that arrests were made, including two individuals at George Idah Primary School for alleged vote trading.
Instances of vote buying ranged between N5,000 and N10,000, with locations including PU08 and PU09 in Ward 2, Owan-East LGA, and various polling units in Egor, Oredo, and Owan-West LGA. Some voters were also allegedly induced with food items.
Yunusa said the election took place amid pre-election tension and a proliferation of fake news, contributing to anxiety in the state.
The NCSSR noted that while polling officials arrived on time in only 50% of units, some locations saw early arrivals as early as 7:00 am.
However, many polling units experienced delays, with some officials and materials not arriving until after 9:00 am.
At the Super Registration Area Centre in Ogbe Primary School, polling officials had not departed by 9:00 am, and reports indicated that many ad-hoc staff were reluctant to stay overnight due to security concerns.
On a positive note, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) functioned effectively in 98% of polling units, with facial recognition authentication proving more efficient than thumbprint verification. Party agents were present across most polling units, with the APC having the highest representation.
Overall, while the NCSSR praised the security presence, it called attention to issues of vote buying and delays in polling operations that need to be addressed for future elections.
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