Osun Election: EU observers report 103 vote-trading cases, BVAS glitches

By Dayo Johnson, Osogbo

The EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub (EU-SDGN EOH) has reported 323 cases of electoral offences and 38 security incidents in the ongoing Osun State governorship election as of noon on Saturday.

In a preliminary statement issued at 2 p.m., the Hub said the figures were based on reports from 823 accredited observers deployed across the 30 local government areas of the state.

The Hub comprises the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), International Press Centre (IPC), Nigeria Women Trust Fund (NWTF), TAF Africa, The Kukah Centre and Yiaga Africa.

According to the Hub, 2,339,233 voters were registered for the election, while 1,906,390, representing 81.5 per cent, had collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

It said that out of the 726 polling units observed, officials with complete election materials arrived at 608 units, representing 83.7 per cent, between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Another 75 polling units received materials between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., while 42 received them between 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. One polling unit had yet to open as of 11 a.m.

The observers also reported that 58 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, representing 7.9 per cent of those observed, malfunctioned, although 41, or 70.7 per cent, were subsequently rectified.

Despite the technical challenges, the Hub described voter turnout as “impressive” and said voting was largely peaceful and orderly across the polling units observed.

Of the 323 electoral infractions recorded, 103 involved alleged vote trading, while 85 cases of exposed ballots and 38 cases of campaigning at polling units were reported.

Other infractions included 31 cases of voter obstruction, 28 cases of alleged inducement of election officials, 14 cases of impersonation, 12 cases of multiple voting and seven cases of official misconduct.

The Hub also recorded 38 security incidents, including alleged cases of thuggery, attacks on election officials and voter intimidation.

Specific incidents were reported at Polling Unit 29-10-10-005, Igbon DC School, Ejigbo, as well as Polling Units 29-26-01-002 and 29-30-06-015 in the Okanla area of Osogbo.

On inclusion, the observers reported that women accounted for 59 per cent of voters in the polling units monitored, while more than 70 per cent of persons with disabilities (PWDs) voted in the 12 designated polling units observed.

Women also accounted for 36 per cent of polling officials in the observed units.

The Hub’s fact-checking teams, meanwhile, flagged 11 false claims relating to INEC payments, police arrests and alleged underage voting.

The observers urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy Rapid Response Technical (RATECH) teams and backup BVAS devices to polling units experiencing technical challenges.

They also called on INEC to ensure that Form EC60E was displayed at polling units and that results were uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) as required.

Security agencies were urged to maintain professionalism and support the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in tackling vote buying.

The Hub also called on political parties and their supporters to avoid voter inducement and pursue electoral grievances through the courts.

It urged the media to refrain from reporting unofficial results and intensify fact-checking to curb the spread of misinformation.

The Hub said it would continue monitoring the counting and collation processes and publish a comprehensive post-election report.

The Osun governorship election is being conducted across 3,763 polling units, with 15 candidates from 15 political parties participating.

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