The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to bar its employees who participated in election malpractices on February 25 from conducting the March 11 governorship and state assembly elections.
The NBA stated on Wednesday in Abuja, signed by its National Publicity Officer, Akorede Habeeb-Lawal. The organization also urged INEC to correct any bugs or glitches that occurred with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines during the presidential and national assembly elections.
More on their demands: The NBA urged INEC to fix and enhance any bugs or glitches in the BVAS machines and other election technology.
- “All INEC staff, including collation and returning officers, with proven cases of misconduct in the Feb. 25 elections should be excluded from the March 11 elections,“ it said.
The association urged the Inspector-General of Police to guarantee that police officers are on duty in time for the March 11 elections. It also urged political parties to teach their members and supporters about the importance of abstaining from any actions that violate the Electoral Act.
Challenges to be addressed: The NBA asked INEC to address some significant issues that arose during the presidential and national assembly elections on February 25.
- “ These include the late arrival of INEC officials and ballot materials at the polling stations, malfunctioning BVAS machines, limited or non-transmission of the results from the polling units to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV), “ it said.
Other challenges include insecurity at some voting places, violent assaults on voters and officials, voter intimidation, snatching, and destruction of ballots, among other things. According to the association’s results, only a quarter of the electorate, or 27.1 per cent, were pleased with the way the elections were conducted.
- “The majority of the voters representing 64.6 per cent said they are somewhat satisfied”. it said.
What you should know: During the presidential and national assembly elections, the NBA commended Nigerians for their resilience and perseverance in carrying out their civic responsibilities. The association urged citizens to demonstrate the same ideals and determination in the upcoming governorship and state house of assembly elections.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the NBA Election Working Group deployed over 1,000 INEC-accredited observers from the association’s 128 branches to watch elections across the 36 states and the FCT.
