Voting in the Osun State governorship election began early in most polling units monitored by Yiaga Africa on Saturday, even as the group reported vote buying and intimidation of observers as problems requiring action before the final results are collated.
The civil society organisation recorded voting in 79 per cent of its sampled polling units when its observers checked the opening process. By 9:30 a.m., accreditation and voting had started in 97 per cent of the polling units under its watch.
READ RELATED NEWS
Osun Poll: Police interrogate Accord lawmaker over 146 voters at Ikire residence
Osun poll: Adeleke votes as 15 candidates contest governorship
Osun poll: 385 flashpoints put voter safety under security
The early start is significant because the Independent National Electoral Commission faced logistical difficulties following a late court judgment.
Yiaga Africa said polling had generally proceeded without major disruption, with voters present and security personnel deployed at polling units.
Early voting recorded in most units
Yiaga Africa Executive Director, Samson Itodo, spoke at Ward 04 Unit 10 in Ataoja, Osogbo Local Government Area, on Saturday, giving an early account of the voting process from the organisation’s observation network.
He said the process in the polling units visited by the group had been peaceful and seamless. The figures from the organisation’s representative sample also showed that most monitored locations had started accreditation and voting by mid morning.
Itodo said the early opening of polling units was commendable given the logistical problems linked to the late court judgment. His assessment placed the start of voting at 79 per cent of sampled locations, with the figure rising to 97 per cent for accreditation and voting by 9:30 a.m.
Security agencies were also present at the polling units visited by Yiaga Africa. Itodo said their conduct had so far been professional and asked them to maintain neutrality throughout voting and the collation of results.
The group, however, recorded incidents that could affect the conduct of the election as the process progresses.
Vote buying and observer safety recorded
Vote buying was one of the major incidents reported by Yiaga Africa. Itodo said some voters openly revealed how they had voted after receiving inducements, although others did not disclose their choices.
He said the incidents were recorded in some polling units visited by the organisation, even though the general voting process remained peaceful.
Yiaga Africa also received reports of intimidation involving election observers and party agents. Itodo said such conduct was unacceptable because observers were deployed to monitor the process and support its credibility.
One of the organisation’s partner groups reported that a party agent allegedly intimidated one of its observers and chased the person away for several minutes after deployment.
Itodo said security agencies should investigate the allegation and protect observers so they can perform their duties without interference. He also said party agents should not prevent accredited observers from monitoring proceedings at polling units.
The election followed a highly competitive campaign period that included instances of violence and inflammatory rhetoric. Itodo said all participants should maintain peace through voting and the collation stage.
He identified collation as a sensitive part of the process, warning that problems could occur if conduct deteriorated after polling ended.
Yiaga Africa’s early assessment therefore presents two different pictures from the same election. Most monitored polling units opened and began voting on time, but reports of vote buying and intimidation showed that problems persisted beyond the basic opening of polling stations.
Itodo said security agencies had so far conducted themselves professionally and should maintain that standard until the election process is completed.
For More News Details, Visit the New Daily Prime.
