European Union: 2023 Election Lacked Transparency, Damaged Public Confidence in INEC
By Boniface Ihiasota, USA
Several states experienced protests yesterday as a result of the dissatisfaction of some electorate with the management of the governorship and state assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Voters were particularly displeased with the delay tactics used by the electoral body in releasing the results and the alleged discrepancies in the election results signed by party agents, which differed from what was uploaded at INEC’s portal.
The post-election crisis is gathering momentum, and the European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria’s 2023 general elections has declared that due to a lack of transparency and operational failures, Nigerians have lost confidence and trust in INEC.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Chief Observer Barry Andrews presented the Mission’s second preliminary report, noting that despite Nigerians’ great appetite for democracy and keenness to engage in various civic activities, their expectations were not met.
According to Andrews, the apathy recorded at the governorship and state House of Assembly elections conducted last Saturday was a clear consequence of failures by political elites and, unfortunately, INEC.
The Mission observed that voting started early, with INEC ad-hoc officials present and ready to serve voters, but the exercise was disrupted by multiple incidents of thuggery and intimidation of voters, polling officials, observers, and journalists.
Lagos, Kano, and other states in the Southern, Northern, and Central parts of the country were mostly affected.
The election was equally characterized by casualties, fatalities, and vote-buying, which according to the observers, further detracted from an appropriate conduct of elections.
The EU EOM observers also saw the misuse of administrative resources, including through various financial and in-kind inducements to voters, giving an undue advantage to the party in power.
Furthermore, the protracted deadlines for candidacy disputes created uncertainty for voters and electoral contestants alike, while the clear underrepresentation of women as candidates demonstrated a stark lack of internal party policies to support constitutionally prescribed inclusion, also contrary to Nigeria’s international commitments to eradicate discrimination against women.
It was also worrisome that INEC has declared the governorship election in Kebbi, Enugu, Abia, and Adamawa states inconclusive as hoodlums attacked collation centres in Abia and Yola. INEC said the suspected party thugs surrounded the center and did not allow people’s entrance.
