A civil society organisation committed to responsible and accountable leadership has faulted the just concluded local government elections held across the 368 political wards spread across the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State on October 5, 2024.
The Centre for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), in its report released after monitoring the contest, which was made available to LEADERSHIP at the weekend and endorsed by the director, Otuekong Franklin Isong, and secretary, Christopher Ekpo, described the exercise as far from the acceptable standards.
The report noted that violence, ringing, vote-buying, diversion of ballot materials, voter apathy and electoral frauds, including the disenfranchisement of People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs), combined to invalidate the contest against international best practices.
Accusing AKISIEC, led by the chairman, Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, and other officials of compromise, the report charged the agency to ensure such noticeable anomalies are corrected in future polls.
The report reads: “During the local government elections, CHRAN mobilised its members across the State as observers accredited by AKISIEC. Some members of CHRAN joined sister and partnering civil society groups to observe the election across the 31 LGAs. The CHRAN also set up a Situation Room at its office, where reports were received through a dedicated toll-free line and social media platforms. Observation reports were generally accompanied by photographs and video clips.
“AKISIEC mobilised election materials (sensitive and non-sensitive), which were said to have been received by AKISIEC officials at the AKISIEC Headquarters in Uyo, without the presence of some critical stakeholders like the CSOs in the State. The materials were later deployed to the LGAs and, eventually, to the wards and the units. There were complaints of non-receipt of original result sheets and other sensitive materials in many polling units across the State.
“AKISIEC scheduled elections to commence by 8:30 am, but in most polling units, election materials and electoral personnel arrived late. There were also reported cases of materials being diverted to unknown places.
The feedback from the various observers across the state showed that voter turnout was low. The fear of violence and lack of confidence in the electoral process were the reasons given by most voters interviewed.
“The Interviewed respondents noted that even those who came out to vote did so because of the promise of monetary inducement by agents of political parties. In some polling units, the somewhat large turnout of female voters was attributed to the cash-for-vote promised them.
“Perhaps the greatest shortcoming of the 2024 chairmanship and councillorship elections in Akwa Ibom State was the large-scale vote-buying that pervaded the entire State before, during and after the voting proper. Cash-for-vote was so pervasive that it was done in the open in most polling units our team visited.
“Our team arrived at most polling units at about 8:00 a.m. They reported that accreditation and voting went on smoothly and peacefully but after voting, the voters were given serial numbers by certain political party officials at the polling units for voting in favour of their candidates.
“Persons, mostly youths, suspected to be thugs, were seen squabbling and fighting over the serial numbers. Security agents were not seen at most of the polling units.
“Thugs and hoodlums were said to have invaded some voting centres to snatch polling materials, destroy voting materials, harass, molest and intimidate voters, and, in some instances, AKISIEC officials. In some cases, thugs, accompanied by suspected security operatives, hijacked electoral materials, destroyed electoral materials, harassed, interfered with the voting processes, prevented the counting of votes at some voting centres, hindered voting, intimidated and prevented some people from voting, and as well chased away some party agents and observers.
“AKISIEC office was set ablaze in Ibiono Ibom local government area while AKISIEC officials in the area were reportedly manhandled by suspected political thugs who invaded the said AKISIEC office demanding sensitive election materials.
“The voting cubicle provided very little voter secrecy. In many observed cases, thugs and party agents invaded the privacy of the voter to find out in whose favour they voted or to direct voters, especially the elderly, as to which political party to vote.
“It was observed that in aid of vote-buying, voters were made to show by either exhibiting their ballot papers or making some signs to show the political party they voted for. In some cases, some political party supporters tried to force voters to vote in a particular manner or even prevented or mutilated votes not cast in favour of their political parties.
“It was generally observed that AKISIEC did not make provisions to accommodate persons living with disabilities (i.e., physically challenged persons) in the state. The majority of the persons living with disabilities were disenfranchised.
“AKISIEC should return to the drawing board and re-strategise to address the lapses which came to the fore during the conduct of the 5th October 2024 local government chairmanship and councillorship elections to deliver free, fair and credible elections in future.”
