Foremost election monitory body, Yiaga Africa has decried the significant logistics challenges which delayed opening of polls across the country last Saturday.
This was contained in a preliminary report by Yiaga Africa co-signed by Chair, Watching The Vote Working Group Dr. Hussaini Abdu and Executive Director Yiaga Africa Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo.
The body said it deployed 3,836 observers across the country including 3,014 parallel vote tabulation (PVT) observers who deployed early in the morning in pairs to a random, representative statistical sample of 1,507 polling units where they remained throughout the day.
They added that the methodology enabled them to independently assess the quality of the process and verify the accuracy of the official presidential election results announced by INEC.
The report said, “Once again INEC has fallen short of expectations. As a result, elections didn’t hold in some polling units due to INEC’s inability to deploy, insecurity, disruption or malfunctioned BVAS. Yiaga Africa notes that in 18 sampled polling units elections were not conducted. Yiaga Africa also received reports from two polling units in Kano and Delta states where voting were suspended and INEC indicated the process will continue on Sunday, 26th February.
“Yiaga Africa has redeployed observers and they are currently at these polling units waiting on the polling officials to hold the elections.
“Yiaga Africa expressed concerns about the unexplained delay in uploading polling unit results for the presidential election on the INEC Election Results Viewing Portal (IReV). As of 10 pm on election day, results for the Presidential election were not uploaded on the INEC portal after voting and counting ended in several polling units.
“ At 9:00 am on 26th February, INEC uploaded only 25,503 results for the Presidential elections on the INEC portal. The delay in uploading the results undermines public confidence in the results transmission process as it deviates from the guidelines for the elections and it failed to meet citizens expectations.”
INEC Explains Result Viewing Portal Distress, Says Glitches Not Sabotage
“Thus far, the 2023 presidential elections are once again a missed opportunity. The currency crisis created unnecessary challenges for voters, political parties and civil society to engage in the electoral process as well as for INEC to conduct the elections. Logistical shortfalls by INEC caused confusion and unacceptable delays in polling units opening – most notably in South East and South South geopolitical zones. The failure of the IReV system, intended to enhance transparency could potentially impugn the integrity of the elections.
“This Preliminary Process Statement draws on findings as of 10:00 am on 26 February 2023, with complete observer reports received from 1,358 of the 1,507 sampled polling units representing 90% of polling units. Yiaga Africa is currently observing the results collation in all LGAs and State Collation Centers. Additional updates will be provided on other critical aspects of the elections.
