The Nigerian Bar Association Election Working Group has released its report on the Edo State governorship elections held on September 21, 2024,. The NBA highlighted logistical delays, low voter turnout, and instances of attempted vote buying.
Despite these challenges, the group praised the overall conduct of voters and security personnel, describing the election process as generally peaceful.
Accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission to observe the elections, the NBA deployed observers to various polling units across Edo State.
These included representatives from the five NBA branches in the state—Benin, Auchi, Igarra, Uromi, and Ekpoma to ensure comprehensive coverage.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Sunday, declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election.
According to the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Faruq Kuta, Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Asue Ighodalo, who scored 247, 274 votes.
He also stated that the candidate of the Labour Party, Olumide Akpata, came a distant third with 22,763 votes.
The NBA-EWG’s primary objectives were to assess the compliance of all stakeholders with election laws and to evaluate the freeness and fairness of the process
In its report, made available on Tuesday, the group noted delays in the deployment of election materials and personnel, particularly in areas around Benin City.
The team lead by Mrs Bolatumi Animashaun, commented on the delays, saying, “The late arrival of materials in some polling units significantly hindered the smooth commencement of voting
“In areas like Etsako West and Esan North East, voting began on time, but in other places like Egor Ward I, there were no materials or INEC officials at all.
Despite these logistical issues, the NBA-EWG observed that the election remained largely peaceful, with adequate security provided by various agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Army.
However, one notable incident occurred at Aunty Maria Nursery & Primary School in Egor LGA, where gunshots were fired after an altercation involving an APC politician,”Animashaun noted.
The NBA-EWG also reported that security forces were involved in the situation but maintained overall order throughout the process.
Voter turnout was a significant concern, with the NBA-EWG observing that despite Edo State having over 2.6 million registered voters, participation at the polls was low.
“In some polling units, fewer than 10% of registered voters were accredited to vote,” she said.
“For example, in Ward 4, Aduwawa LGA, only 94 out of 1,100 registered voters participated. Similarly low turnout was observed across other local government areas.”
Furthermore, the group also commended the resilience of some voters, particularly middle-aged individuals and physically challenged persons, who braved heavy rains to cast their ballots.
It also observed that while 17 political parties were registered for the election, only three—APC, PDP, and Labour Party—had a visible presence at most polling units.
On the issue of vote buying, the NBA-EWG reported several instances where political party agents attempted to influence voters with monetary incentives.
“In Ugbeku Local Government, observers witnessed men and women engaging voters in discreet discussions, while a middle-aged man compiled a list of voters, raising suspicions of vote buying.
Despite these concerns, the NBA-EWG lauded the professionalism of INEC officials and the functionality of the Biometric Voter Accreditation System in most polling units.
“We are encouraged by the conduct of election officials, who carried out their duties without interference,” Animashaun said.
In its recommendations, the NBA-EWG called for improvements in the timely distribution of election materials and intensified voter education campaigns to restore public trust in the electoral process.
The NBA General Secretary, Dr Mobolaji Ojibara, urged stricter measures to curb the influence of money in elections.
“Curbing the role of money is critical to ensuring the integrity of our elections,” she said.
