Dear Colleagues, Dear Country Men and Women,
Please
find attached the report of NBA Election Monitoring Group Osun State
Governorship re-run. The NBA Election Monitors (the Election Working
Group) recounted how State agents, the police beat up people so
mercilessly and arrested even our own Monitors for doing their job.
Please read the report EXACTLY as written by the monitors and signed by
Tawo E Tawo SAN Chairman NBA EWG, herein reproduced or in the NBA link
hereunder.
Happy
independence anniversary, our country gained independence 5 decades plus
8 years(58) but Buhari is HELL bent on putting citizens in chains to
mortify the citizenry for his politics though he be without an economic
blueprint, four years into a regime that has scourged 85% of Nigerians
from North to South across geopolitical axis. Once he is determined to
lead well he will lead Nigeria well but he does appear determined to
plunge Nigerians economic enterprises into the abyss and that is not
good of a patriot to inflict on a populous state.
Respectfully submitted,
CN AJIE ESQ
REPORT OF THE NBA AD-HOC ELECTION
WORKING GROUP ON THE RERUN GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION IN OSUN STATE HELD ON
THURSDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 2018
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted the Osun
Governorship Election on the 22nd day of September, 2018. The
election was declared inconclusive by INEC and a supplementary election was
held on the 27th day of September, 2018 in seven (7)polling units in
four (4) Local Government Areas of the State, namely, Osogbo, Orolu, Ife North
and Ife South.
Members of the NBA Election Working Group, who had observed the elections on
22nd September 2018 and had prepared a Report thereon, were deployed to the
affected Local Government Areas to observe the supplementary elections.
OBSERVATION REPORTS;
A. OSOGBO;
Members of the NBA EWG arrived at Osogbo polling unit 17, ward 5, at
about 7:00am. There was massive armed security presence with movement
around the polling unit restricted to voters and observers. All the election
materials were made available for the election. The electoral protocols for
voting were fulfilled by the electoral officers at the unit.
Accreditation and voting commenced at about 8:02am. The voting
process went on smoothly till about 11:30am when some hoodlums
invaded the area in an attempt to disrupt the process. The situation was
brought under control by the security personnel present. In spite of the
seeming and subtle form of intimidation, voters were undaunted as they did cast
their votes. There was substantial compliance with the election process and
procedure at the polling units.
B. OROLU:
The team deployed to observe the rerun election at Orolu, Ward 8, polling units
1 and 4 and ward 9, polling unit 3, set out for the assignment at
about 6:30am. The team’s enthusiasm was dampened by their harassment
and subsequent arrest by mobile policemen en-route Orolu. They were taken
before Ali Janga, Commissioner of Police, at a Police Post. CP Ali Janga is in
charge of Kogi State Police Command. Incidentally, the Secretary of the NBA
ad-hoc EWG, Liman Salihu Esq. the immediate past chairman of the NBA Lokoja
Branch, Kogi State, recognized the CP and showed his Identification Card to him
but surprisingly the CP ordered that the team be taken to the INEC Office.
At the INEC office, it took one of our own, Festus Okoye Esq. who is currently
the INEC Commissioner representing South-East Geopolitical Zone, to secure
their release; he also facilitated the team’s movement to Orolu.
The road to Orolu is barely motorable and appears to have been recently graded
for the purpose of the election. The location of the polling unit at Ifon Orolu
Kajola was in a farm house inside a thick bush and there was only one
unoccupied residence with a distance of about 80meters from the said polling
unit. The materials for the election arrived on time at the respective units
and voting proper commenced at the stipulated time of 8:00am.
There was heavy security presence with about thirty (30) armed Police officials
at Orolu. At about 10:00am, while figuring out how to get to Idiya Polling
Unit in Orolu, four (4) Toyota Hiace buses packed with about fifty
(50) fierce looking men, drove in and the men alighted and walked
towards the polling unit without any PVC in their hands. In spite of the heavy
security presence of the Nigerian Police, these men were not stopped nor asked
if they were going to vote neither were they asked for their PVCs. This however
aroused our suspicion.
A member of the NBA Ad-hoc EWG who attempted a recording of the happenings (a
few seconds was recorded though) was almost attacked by about six (6) of these
men. Surprisingly the Police officials stood aloof and did nothing to stop the
invasion by this group of men. The reason given by the security men
(Police officials) for their inaction was that they could not act without
formal complaints from us.
Another observation at Orolu was that most of the voters had identification
bands on their left arms and ring bands on their thumbs. Those with the said
identification bands were allowed access into Orolu while those without the
bands were not allowed access and so could not vote. Although these voters
without the bands displayed their PVCs to the Police
men on ground as evidence that they had been registered to vote
at that particular polling unit, the Police personnel adamantly turned them
back and as such they could not exercise their right to vote. Voters
that were allowed to vote without the bands were those who had arrived earlier
before the commencement of voting.
C. IFE NORTH;
Election in Ife North was conducted in a village called Oyere. It was deep
in a forest barely accessible by vehicle and was about two
and half hours from Ile-Ife. There was strong security
presence (The Nigerian Police Force) in and around the polling unit. Our
representative observed that on his way to the polling unit, officials of the
Nigerian Police force barricaded the road alongside some civilians. People were
screened before they were allowed to proceed further; some were beaten because
they had their phones with them which were seized. Some people were allowed to
pass the checkpoint, but some others were turned back.
Although our representative introduced himself to the security personnel, they
merely scoffed at him. Our representative, for safety reasons, had to turn back
as he was not given the opportunity to observe the rerun election at the
aforementioned polling unit.
D. IFE SOUTH:
The polling unit was at Olode, Adereti Village, Ward Code 16, Polling Unit 12,
Area Code 07, LGA 07. The polling unit was divided into two polling points
(polling unit 12A and 12B). The total number of accredited voters was Eight
Hundred and Twelve (812). Materials arrived at about 7:00am and there
was proper display of ballot papers. INEC provided the requisite
materials for the polling unit and the presiding officer/other Supervisors
confirmed they received the full complement of their materials.
The team observed that the armed officials (Nigerian Police, Army, Civil
Defense Corps, FRSC, NDLEA) were about 10meters away from the polling booths.
Voters turnout was quite impressive in spite of the rain and there was a good
sense of gender balance. Party agents present were the ACD,
APGA and APC. There was no representation from the PDP. However, one
of the party agents told us in confidence that he had to use another party’s
name tag to conceal his identity as a PDP agent.
Voters’ education was duly conducted for voters present. The voting commenced
at about 8:00am. The last voter on the queue cast his vote
at about 12:05pm. The INEC officials waited
till 2:00pm before declaring voting exercise closed. Cancellation of
unused ballot papers commenced immediately while sorting of used ballot papers
followed suit. Thereafter, vote counting, and announcement of
election result was done by the presiding officer. This procedure was done in
unit 12A and was repeated in unit 12B.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion the Rerun of the Osun state Gubernatorial
Election fell far short of a free and fair election compared to what transpired
in the election of the 22ndday of September, 2018 in Osun State which was
however declared inconclusive. From the actions and inactions of the Nigerian
Police Force they appeared to have been compromised given the fact
that the Police did not question the activities of the about fifty (50)
fierce-looking men who invaded the area at Orolu.
SUGGESTIONS;
1. Polling Stations sited in the bush or where less than 20 residential
places or houses which are not within a minimum of 50meters radius, should be
relocated in future elections. Illustrative example is the
above-mentioned polling units at Orolu.
2. There should be proper sensitization, training and orientation programs for
all security personnel deployed for election purpose. A special unit should be
established within the security agencies for election purpose and
other civil engagements.
Tawo E. Tawo SAN
Chairman
NBA-EWG
