Key highlights:
- INEC workers, both regular and ad hoc were victims of violence.
- INEC revealed that some staff were abducted, harassed, intimidated, hospitalized and in one case killed.
- INEC says it would not hesitate to remobilize where the outcome of the election is affected.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that the Commission took the decision to remobilize to enable citizens to exercise their franchise.
INEC said its eyes were on those areas and would not hesitate to remobilize where the outcome of the election is affected.
This was disclosed by Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, at a news conference at INEC National Situation Room, Abuja on Sunday.
Remobilised: Okoye said there was improved voter authentication using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) while the uploading of Polling Unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) witnessed remarkable improvement, he added:
- “However, for difficult and unforeseen circumstances outside the Commission’s control, we did our best to respond, especially where processes were disrupted by actors over whom we have little or no control.
- “Such diabolical behaviour did not only affect citizens but also impacted the Commission’s officials and processes.
Violence: He also added INEC workers were violently attacked, and some killed, took the decision to remobilize to such places to enable citizens to exercise their franchise, he said:
- “INEC staff, both regular and ad hoc were victims of violence. Some of our staff were abducted, harassed, intimidated, hospitalized and in one case killed.
- “Nevertheless, where we could not deploy to enable citizens to vote, the Commission took the decision to remobilize to such places to enable citizens to exercise their franchise.
- “Unfortunately, we could not extend the same to areas where voting was disrupted, and election materials destroyed.
- “We are keeping our eyes on those areas and would not hesitate to remobilize where the outcome of the election is affected.”
Collation: He noted that INEC is committed to the sanctity of the process and will not hesitate to take drastic measures against proven irregularities, citing that allegations of voter inducement, harassment and manipulation of results will be reviewed and addressed.
He noted the invasion of the commission office in Obingwa Local Government Area office in Abia during the collation of results for the Governorship and State Assembly elections, saying:
- “In contention was the collated result from the Registration Areas for the Governorship election in that Local Government Area.
- “The intention was to force the collation of these contentious results.
- “The behaviour of these thugs is unacceptable and there will be a thorough review of the results.”
INEC revealed it did not deploy to all the 176,846 polling units during the presidential and National Assembly elections, stating the reason as a lack of polling units that had zero registered voters and consequently, the Commission deployed to a total of 176,606 polling units.
- “Not only that, there were places where elections did not take place and there were places where the deployment did not take place.
- “So in those areas, one does not expect any result to be uploaded to the INEC Results Viewing Portal for such areas,” Okoye said.
