Sola Popoola
Election observers have called on the Security agencies to investigate allegations of vote buying, prosecute offenders and maintain neutrality during future elections.
They expressed concerns over technical glitches associated with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), widespread allegations of vote buying, and low youth participation.
The concerns were raised during a post-election press conference jointly addressed by Abdullahi Rufai Adamu, Programmes Officer, Democratic and Electoral Integrity at the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), and Tina Chidi, Executive Director of the Bridging Social Inclusion Gaps Initiative (BISIGI Africa).
Reports from both CTRC and PPDC indicated that voters in several communities allegedly received cash inducements ranging from ₦10,000 to ₦20,000 in exchange for their votes. The allegations were reported in Ado, Moba, Ikere, Emure, Efon, Ekiti West, Oye, Ijero, Ikole and Ekiti East local government areas.
According to the observers, some voters were allegedly monitored after casting their ballots and subsequently directed to designated locations where cash payments were distributed.
The stakeholders strongly condemned the practice, describing it as a major threat to electoral integrity.
One of the highlights of the election was the special consideration given to vulnerable groups. Election officials received commendation for prioritising elderly persons, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), pregnant women and nursing mothers during accreditation and voting.
The observers noted that women constituted the highest proportion of voters in many polling units monitored across the state
According to reports compiled by the Case Tracking and Response Centre (CTRC), PPDC-BISIGI Africa, and stakeholders who participated in the June 16 NIGAWD/YERP-Naija roundtable, the election was largely peaceful and orderly but was marred by familiar challenges that continue to affect Nigeria’s electoral process.
Despite these positives, BVAS-related challenges featured prominently in the observers’ reports. Many elderly voters reportedly experienced difficulties with facial authentication during accreditation, leading to delays and, in some cases, disenfranchisement.
The affected areas included Ado, Moba, Ikere, Emure, Efon, Ekiti West and Oye local government areas. Although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deployed replacement BVAS machines in some locations, network-related challenges persisted.
PPDC also documented a case in Ado-Ekiti where a registered voter living with disability was unable to vote after the BVAS device failed to retrieve his details from the voter register.
Observers further expressed concern over low youth participation across several polling units, describing the turnout among young voters as relatively poor despite sustained voter education efforts before the election.
However, the most significant concern raised by election monitors was the alleged prevalence of vote buying.
“Vote buying undermines the credibility of elections in Nigeria,” the NIGAWD/YERP-Naija communiqué stated, while BISIGI Africa urged citizens to reject inducements and refrain from selling their votes.
Meanwhile, vote counting and result collation were generally conducted in accordance with INEC guidelines. However, observers reported an isolated discrepancy at Polling Unit 001, St. Peter’s, Ward 2, Oye-Ekiti, where 126 voters were accredited, yet 141 votes were reportedly counted. The matter was referred to the collation centre for further review.
They also recommended improvements to BVAS technology, particularly facial recognition features for elderly voters, and urged the commission to intensify voter education efforts on the proposed downloadable Permanent Voter Card (PVC) initiative.
While acknowledging the overall peaceful atmosphere and efficient deployment of election materials, the observers concluded that concerns over vote buying, BVAS failures, accessibility challenges and low voter turnout remain issues that require urgent attention.
Observers noted that voting commenced as scheduled in most of the state’s 16 local government areas, with election officials arriving early and polling units fully set up before accreditation and voting began around 8:30 a.m.
Security personnel were deployed across polling units and were widely praised for maintaining law and order throughout the exercise. The observers reported no major incidents of violence during the election, while security operatives were described as professional and non-intrusive