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European Union observers
take notes as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
count ballots during gubernatorial and local assembly elections in Lagos on
April 11, 2015 ©Pius Utomi Ekpei (AFP)
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Sixteen violent incidents
marred Nigeria's closely-fought regional polls in
Rivers state the worst affected, INEC Sunday. The
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) however praised the nationwide
voting on Saturday as "relatively peaceful".
INEC also said in a
statement that electronic voter identification devices -- which were used for
the first time in last month's general election and caused headaches in several
states -- broadly worked in the regional vote despite problems in some areas.
GRAPHITTI NEWS/AFP/PREMIUM TIMES report continue:
But the commission
lamented the "significant number of violent incidents" recorded
across the country.
INEC spokesman Kayode
Idowu told AFP that the commission would not comment on the number of
casualties that resulted from the unrest.
The southern Rivers state
saw 16 separate outbreaks of violence on Saturday, the statement said, with the
remaining 50 incidents spread throughout the country.
Voting was extended into
Sunday at nine wards in Rivers after vital election material was not delivered
to a number of polling stations.
The results from
Saturday's vote were cancelled in several areas where ballot papers were openly
stolen, said INEC's Rivers REC, Dame Gesila Khan.
The opposition All
Progressives Congress has accused President Goodluck Jonathan's Peoples
Democratic Party of orchestrating a massive ballot stuffing campaign in the
state.
Despite losing nationally
to challenger Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential vote, Jonathan won Rivers
with more than 95 percent support.
A total of 29
governorship and deputy governorship positions from Nigeria's 36 states are up
for grabs as well as seats in all of the states' legislatures, with results
expected to trickle in on Sunday.
Meanwhile INEC, in the
report released on Sunday afternoon, stated that its “general assessment shows
that the elections went very well across the country.”
It however acknowledged
that based on its findings, the elections were marred by violence in some parts
of the country. It listed cases of violence in its records to include “Rivers
State (16 incidents), Ondo (8), Cross River and Ebonyi (6 each), Akwa Ibom (5)
Bayelsa (4), Lagos and Kaduna (3 each), Jigawa, Enugu, Ekiti and Osun (2 each),
Katsina, Plateau, Kogi, Abia, Imo, Kano and Ogun (1 each).”
GRAPHITTI NEWS and other
news media had reported the death of some persons in various violence acts in
Rivers during the elections with the state living up to pre-election
predictions of violence due to a proxy tug of war between the Peoples
Democratic Party-led presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress in the
state.
INEC said it is
“investigating these (violent) incidents and will do everything within in its
powers to bring culprits to justice.”
The agency also admitted
that its officials failed to arrive on time for elections in at least 5 per
cent of the polling units across Nigeria.
READ THE FULL STATEMENT:
The Independent National
Electoral Commission conducted Governorship and State Houses of Assembly
elections across the country on Saturday, April 11, 2015. Governorship
elections were held in 29 States of the Federation, while State Assembly
elections were held in 36 states. No election took place in the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT).
A general assessment
shows that the elections went very well across the country. According to
preliminary reports, 88.9 % of polling units opened for accreditation between 8
a.m. and 10 a.m. across the country. Only 5.2 % were yet to open as of 1 pm.
Also, 73 % of the polling units had commenced voting by 2.30 p.m.
The process of
accreditation with Smart Card Readers was also successful in a majority of the
polling units. Initial challenges were recorded in Edo and Abia states, but the
technical teams deployed to support the states were able to resolve the issues
in a timely manner.
Overall, many parts of
the country remained relatively peaceful during the elections. Some states,
however, recorded a significant number of violent incidents, the most affected
being Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi and Ondo States. INEC’s records
show that there were 66 reports of violent incidents targeted at polling units,
the Commission’s officials, voters and election materials. These were in Rivers
State (16 incidents), Ondo (8), Cross River and Ebonyi (6 each), Akwa Ibom (5)
Bayelsa (4), Lagos and Kaduna (3 each), Jigawa, Enugu, Ekiti and Osun (2 each),
Katsina, Plateau, Kogi, Abia, Imo, Kano and Ogun (1 each). The Commission is
investigating these incidents and will do everything within in its powers to
bring culprits to justice.
INEC commends Nigerians
for once again demonstrating their resolve and commitment to participate in the
electoral process and by doing so, contributing to deepening democracy in our
country.
The Commission calls on
every citizen to maintain the peace as the results of the Governorship and
State Assembly elections are being processed, and to accept the official
outcomes. It would like to emphasize that winners can only emerge after
collation of the official results and on the basis of the requirements
prescribed by the legal framework. Any aggrieved persons or groups are
encouraged to seek redress at the Tribunals.
INEC would also like to
remind all stakeholders that the process is not yet completed and urges
restraint in their comments, as we strive to bring this process to an orderly,
peaceful and credible conclusion.
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