From David Onuoja Abuja
A Nigeria Civil Society Organization that monitored the Ondo State Governorship election last Saturday, has released it’s final security report, saying ‘majority of the security personnel were of good conduct’.
CLEEN Foundation is a leading Civil Society Organization on Election Security Management in Nigeria that deployed observers to the eighteen (18) LGAs of Ondo state to primarily observe the conduct of security personnel deployed for the purpose of the election.
The main objective of this group’s report is to provide an overview of the compliance or non-compliance of security personnel to the legal frameworks and ethical principles guiding the process of election in Nigeria as well as their general conduct during the election.
In the organization’s final statement released at the weekend in Akure after the election, Peter Maduoma who is the Acting Executive Director, CLEEN Foundation said, its engagement with the police hierarchy during the Foundation’s public dissemination of the Election Security Threat Assessment (ESTA) and physical meeting at the Ondo state command showed that the police deployed thirty-six thousand (36,000) personnel with about 15,000 being unarmed personnel deployed to the 3,933 polling units in the state.
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In addition, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) deployed a total of 6225 personnel for the same purpose of the Election.
The observation included issues concerning: presence of security personnel, adequacy of security personnel, the feeling of safety and security at the polling stations and the environs, the positioning of armed security personnel and the general conduct of security personnel on election duty across the state.
According to the statement, “the group observed the presence of security personnel, adequacy of security personnel, the feeling of safety and security at the polling stations and the environs, the positioning of armed security personnel and the general conduct of security personnel on election duty across the state.
On the presence of personnel it said, “the polling units included Odigbo LGA, Ward 10, PU 40, Akure South LGA Ward 5 PU 29, and others were the presence of security.
“Security personnel, especially officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) got to their duty stations between 07:00 am and 07:59 am. In about 29.6% of the polling stations visited, security personnel arrived before 07:00 am. On the overall, and based on CLEEN’s observation we can conclude that security personnel deployed for the election were early to their duty posts.
Speaking about adequacy of the personnel, “CLEEN Foundation observers report showed that there were at least 2 security personnel present in each polling station visited while in most of the polling stations there were 3 or more security personnel on duty. The data also showed that in about 70% of the polling stations, there were at least 2 security personnel present. However, there was a particular report of absence of security personnel at one of the polling units.
Also talking about security personnel’s easy identification, “the data received from field observers at the CLEEN Foundation Election Security Support Centre showed that all security personnel in all the polling stations wore an easily identifiable name tag which is in compliance with the code of conduct for security personnel on election duty.
Safety and Security during the Polls: “Field Observers reported that polling stations and environs were largely safe and secure except in few instances in Isalu Jigbokin ward 8 unit 002, where observers reported a fight between party agents which could have disrupted the voting process but for timely containment and de-escalation by law enforcement personnel deployed to the polling unit.
“While we were not clear of the actual cause of the fisticuffs, reports from our observer suggested that it was about the control of electorates. Also, in New Garage zone, Motor Park 1/unit 016, Okitipupa ward 2, Okitipupa LGA, our observer reported a fight between party agents who were attempting to induce an electorate.
On their conduct generally, data across the state show that majority of the security personnel were of good conduct. “Almost all the observers deployed in the 18 LGAs reported good conduct of the security personnel. 96% of observers reported that the security personnel were approachable and professional in the discharge of their duties.
Commending INEC on the BVAS, the group said, “Generally, the BVAS functioned very well. However, CLEEN Foundation received a report of BVAS malfunction at Akure-North, Ward 4, Polling Unit 1. The BVAS delayed in capturing the voters using facial ID.
Lamenting on the inducement, it added, “Voters inducement was the order of the day, CLEEN Foundation received several reports of vote trading ranging from 5000 to 10,000 naira per vote. For instance, report from observers at Okitipupa Ward 2 PU 16 and in other areas showed heavy inducement of voters by political parties as they have put in place several strategies which included payment of voters upon confirmation of their votes haven been cast to their party; transfer of money to voters after voting their party; payment of food and drinks for voters and the use of a form of voter register where voters are forced to show who they have voted for before claiming their money and thereafter, sign-off the party’s voters register”, that is the new system it said.
CLEEN Foundation however, recommended that, INEC should develope and implement Anti-Vote-Trading measures and Create targeted strategies to combat voter inducement, including undercover surveillance at polling units and community sensitization on the illegality of vote trading with strong deterrent structures.
A reward for polling units and personnel with exemplary adherence to electoral laws and ethical standards be there in order to promote accountability and integrity in elections.
In the same vein, CLEEN foundation called for security agencies to draw up a methodology to assiduously combat voters’ inducement and monetization of ballots by the political class in the country. We also call on law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant even after the election and the declaration of the result by INEC.
