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Nigeria: Election Monitoring, 2
Nigeria: Election Monitoring, 2
Date distributed (ymd): 990218
Document reposted by APIC
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: West Africa
Issue Areas: +political/rights+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains the interim report of the Transition
Monitoring Group on the state-level elections held in Nigeria
on January 9, 1999. A previous posting contains several
announcements from groups planning to monitor the Feb. 27
presidential election.
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Interim Report Of the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG)
On
the Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly Held on
Saturday, January 9th 1999
Distributed by the Constitutional Rights Project, CRP, a non
governmental organisation established in November 1990 to
promote and protect respect for human rights and the rule of
law in Nigeria.
Please send enquries to
Constitutional Rights Project, CRP
5 Abiona Close, Off Falolu Rd,
P. O. Box 4447 Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria
Tel: 234-1-5848498; 5843041
Fax: 234-1-5848571
E-mail: crplagos@crp.org.ng
This is a preliminary report issued by the Transition
Monitoring Group (TMG), a coalition of 56 human rights and
other civil society organisations that monitored the
Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections held in
Nigeria on Saturday, January 9th 1999.
This report is based on the observation of the polls in
various constituencies by TMG monitors across the country.
TMG monitors observed the polls in all six zones of the
country: South East, South-South, South West, North East,
North Central and North West.
TMG was formally accredited by the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor the elections
nationwide, and deployed over 3,000 observers to monitor the
elections nationwide, made up of 800observers who had formal
accreditation from INEC, and other observers under the aegis
of the TMG.
The level of co-operation between INEC and local NGOs is to be
commended,and in the circumstances, the TMG calls upon INEC to
accredit more local observers to cover the 10,000 observers
which TMG is proposing to deploy for subsequent elections.
Preliminary
In general, the TMG observed a better state of logistical
preparedness for this set of elections than at the previous
election held on December 5th 1998. It was also noticed that
the election officials were better trained and more aware of
the regulations governing the conduct of the elections.
However, several reports indicate that there is still a
worrying level of arbitrariness in the application of the
voting regulations.
Although the elections were held in a generally peaceful
atmosphere, the security situation across the country
indicated that a lot still remains to be done in this area.
It should also be noted that elections did not hold in some
parts of the country, in particular, Bayelsa State, where no
elections were held at all.
Across the country, it was noted that there was a lower
turnout of voters compared with the December 5, 1998 Local
Government elections.
State of Preparedness of INEC
TMG notes that INEC was responsive to several of the
recommendations made by the independent local and
international observers after the December 5, 1998 Local
Government election. However, there remains much room for
improvement.
1. Electoral Materials
There was a general improvement in this regard across the
country. However, lapses were still widespread. In some cases
no election could be held due to lack of ballot papers (Aba
South LGA), lack of voters' register or incomplete registers
b. Training of Electoral Officials
An improvement was noticed in this regard, as election
officers appeared to be better informed about the procedure
for voting.
c. Time-keeping
There was a greater adherence to the times specified by INEC
for the commencement of the voting exercise. However, this
improvement was not uniform, as for example, in some areas of
Abia, Ebonyi and Kaduna States,election officials arrived
late, and this led to late commencement of accreditation
d. Privacy of Voting
Improvements in this area were noticed, particularly with
regard to the provision of collapsible voter's booths that
provided a measure of privacy for voters. However, a very
large percentage of polling stations remained without booths,
and it was left to improvisation by polling officers to make
alternative provision for privacy, and where this was not
done, the vote remained virtually open. It should also be
noted that while the transparency of the ballot box has many
advantages, it is possible to see the vote cast by any
individual as the individual ballots are dropped into the
ballot box. Electoral officials may take care of this by
advising each voter to fold his ballot paper before dropping
it into the box.
e. Transportation
INEC appears to have made improvements in this area, and this
no doubt, largely accounted for the prompt arrival of voting
materials in many cases. However, again, the improvement was
by no means universal. In Ebonyi State, there was a serious
problem of mobility which in turn led to late arrival of
election officers with the relevant materials.
f. Voters' Registers
There was no display of the voter's register, nor has there
been any rectification, or opportunity for those who were
unable to register during the initial exercise, to do so
before the last election.
In some cases it was observed that the voters' registers were
either incomplete in that whole pages were missing, or
appeared to have been altered in that some registered voters
with registration cards found either that their names were
missing, or that the names on the cards did not correspond
with those against the relevant number in the register. This
was widespread. In Maikwanda in Maiduguri, Borno State, a
whole register containing over 600 names was missing, and as
a result, voting could not take place. Equally disturbing was
the case of those who had been able to vote during the local
government elections but were now unable to find their names
on the register, as happened in Abia State.
It was observed that INEC officials were using voters'
registers which were still in manuscript form. Although these
ought to have been photocopies of originals kept in a master
list, it was observed in some places that the copy actually
being used at the polling station had been altered with
correcting fluid. It is not clear whether these corrections
appeared on the originals (and if not, why were the election
officials not given photocopies of the corrected original),
but this practice raises doubts about the authenticity of the
register, and also creates room for manipulation by
politicians and electoral officials.
In some cases, it was observed that problems of lack of any
polling station whatsoever for some registered voters, which
had been remarked upon during the local government elections,
had still not been rectified. For example, in Umuahia North
LGA of Abia State no polling station had been provided for
hundreds of voters who had registered in Urban Ward III.
g. Uniformity of application of regulations
It was noted that the INEC regulation requiring that
accredited voters remain at the polling station until voting
commences was widely ignored.
In most cases across the country -- particularly where voting
took place in non-enclosed spaces -- voters were either not
told to remain on the spot, or were actively encouraged to go
away and return at the appointed time for voting. In some
places it was noted that INEC officials did not insist on
voters being personally present for the purpose of
accreditation, which involved only the marking of the
individual's voter's card. This was particularly noticed in
some areas -- e.g. in Igabi LGA of Kaduna State -- where some
men were allowed to get voters' cards marked as accredited on
the excuse that they belonged to their wives who were in
purdah.
h. Civic Education
As noted in the TMG's last report, the pre-election education
and information about voting procedure by INEC remained poor.
Simply putting jingles on radio and television telling people
to "go out and vote" hardly meets the requirement of specific
information about the actual voting procedure, which was still
missing. The TMG wishes to emphasize that comparatively few
Nigerians have access to the print media.
The regulations regarding restriction on movement were equally
unclear to many citizens and to those in authority. For
example, in Bama town in Borno State, the State Administrator
ordered the closure of the market, but it appeared that this
was because of the low turnout of voters, rather than any
violation on the restriction of movement. In Sagamu LGA of
Ogun State, commercial activities were equally proceeding,
with markets open and okada commercial motor-cycles plying
their trade.
The late clearance of candidates in many places meant that
there was very limited time for campaigns and presentation of
programmes to the public, and as a result, many voters
expressed ignorance about the candidates (particularly for the
State Houses of Assembly) with resulting apathy about the
voting exercise.
i. Gender Pattern of Voting
The turnout of women voters remained generally poor, as a
percentage of total voters. In Ogun State, for example,
observers noted that women voters made up less than 20% of
those who voted. Although in Katsina State, an impressive
turnout of women voters in some areas such as Batagarawa,
Bindawa and Kafur was reported, the issue of women in purdah
not coming out to vote remained a problem.
2. Security Situation
The TMG notes that although the elections took place in an
atmosphere that was generally peaceful, (where elections took
place at all), there was nonetheless a sufficient number of
violent incidents to warrant much more attention to security
on the part of INEC and the Nigeria Police.
In Ogun, Oyo and Ondo States, it was noticed that students
who, it was alleged, were members of secret cults, were used
as political thugs.
Apart from actual physical violence (attacks with guns,
machetes, axes etc.) there were widespread reports of
intimidation and harassment, and attempted seizure of ballot
boxes, as happened for example in Ward 12 of Aba North LGA
where fighting followed the attempt of a councillor-elect to
seize the ballot box, although order was later restored. In
Lagos Island, a ballot box was seized, and although it was
abandoned by the thugs, it broke open and the ballot papers
were scattered. In Epe LGA of Lagos State, inter-party
violence led to the death of one person. In Kaduna North LGA
at Ungwan Shanu, an INEC official was beaten up over his
resistance to an attempt by a party official to force some
ballot papers into the ballot box.
3. Conduct of the Political Parties
Primaries were conducted by each of the three parties before
the elections. In several cases, the primaries were marred by
allegations of improper conduct, especially allegations of
attempts to impose favoured candidates on the part of some of
the party chiefs. The TMG calls on the political class to
eschew such undemocratic behaviour so that the military is not
give further excuse to intervene in our polity.
4. Conduct of the Election
Low Turnout The low turn-out of voters which was noticed
across the country appears to have given rise for some
incidents of disregard of the rules for the conduct of the
elections, or for outright electoral malpractices. In some
areas, this took the form of allowing voters to get accredited
well after the official closing time of 11.00 a.m., or
allowing accreditation and voting to take place at the same
time. In Aniocha South LGA and Oshimili North LGA of Delta
State, the bizarre response of election officials and party
agents was to share out the ballot papers amongst the three
parties proportionately, thumb print and insert the same
inside the ballot boxes, "to make up for the low turn out of
voters"!
Perhaps the most poignant example of the frustration which
resulted from low voter turn-out is the report received from
Bama in Borno State where most people, rather than vote, went
to the local market to do business. It took the intervention
of the State Military Administrator to close the market at
2.00 p.m. and force the people to go and vote.
Under-Aged Voting The INEC chairman himself was reported to
have arrested underaged voters at Unguwar Yari ward of Katsina
State. Similar reports of voting by underaged persons were
reported in Igabi LGA and Railway Quarters of Kaduna State.
Multiple Voting Several cases of multiple voting were reported
from areas as widespread as Umuahia South LGA of Abia State,
Igabi LGA of Kaduna State,
Bribery Allegations of bribery were equally widespread, but
TMG monitors also made actual reports of bribery. In Oshimili
North LGA in Delta State, a party gave out the money that
facilitated the sharing of the ballot papers among the three
parties, and as a result, that party had 75% to thumb-print,
while the other two parties shared the remaining ballot
papers. In Ekiti State, the wife of one of the parties'
gubernatorial candidate was arrested with a large sum of money
and indeed, a pot of charms. It was alleged that she had been
using money to bribe voters.
5. Conclusion
The conduct of the election was successful. It was clear that
INEC's performance improved. It can still do better in the
coming elections, just as the security agencies and the
political parties.
6. Recommendations
- Between now and the next elections, there should be a
review and display of voters' register, to allow for
rectification, and for those who have been deprived of their
right to vote to exercise that right in the remaining
elections. A copy of the Voters' Register should be pasted at
particular polling stations prior to elections to enable
voters to identify where they will vote.
- INEC should be assisted by the Federal Government and the
international community in computing capacity. It is also
recommended that the Voters'Register should be computerised,
and printed copies made available for use at the remaining
elections.
- The regulation requiring voters to remain at the polling
centre after accreditation has been much more honoured in the
breach than the observance and should be abolished for all
remaining elections. The regulation not only places undue
strain upon the voters, but is generally impossible for
election officials to enforce.
- There remains a high need for security for ballot boxes
and election officers after the close of polling, to ensure
that cases of seizure of ballot boxes or results are
eliminated.
- There is need for increased efforts with regard to the
issue of secrecy of voting. The situation where voters still
do not have adequate privacy to cast their votes, or where the
votes cast are apparent as the ballot is placed in the ballot
box, should be urgently rectified.
- With regard to Bayelsa State, the TMG advises that urgent
steps should be taken by the Federal and State governments to
restore normalcy so that elections can be conducted, as it
would be unfortunate in the extreme were Bayelsa State to
enter upon the forthcoming republic without an elected
legislature or executive. INEC should hold itself ready to
conduct such elections at any time that the situation
improves.
- INEC and non-governmental organisations should redouble
their efforts in the area of voter education to ensure that
people are persuaded that it is worthwhile to vote and also
that they understand the voting procedure.
For: Transition Monitoring Group
Clement Nwankwo Chair, Coordinating Committee
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the
Africa Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC's primary
objective is to widen the policy debate in the United States
around African issues and the U.S. role in Africa, by
concentrating on providing accessible policy-relevant
information and analysis usable by a wide range of groups and
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