The African Bar Association (AfBA) has expressed concerns regarding the preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2023 General Elections. In a statement, the association’s president, Hannibal Uwaifo, highlighted the observations made by the continental bar during the recently concluded polls. He noted that the AfBA, which acted as an observer for the presidential and National Assembly elections, plans to submit a report detailing its findings to INEC in the near future. Uwaifo extended his gratitude to all Nigerians who participated in the elections, particularly the youth, who turned out in large numbers to fulfill their civic responsibilities in hopes of fostering a better nation.
Uwaifo outlined several irregularities that marred the electoral process. He pointed out that despite having sufficient time to prepare, INEC failed to distribute registered voters evenly across polling units in various regions, leading to unnecessary crowding during the voting process. He criticized the commission for employing a vast majority of Ad Hoc staff who were ill-trained and vulnerable, unable to manage the pressures of an election of this scale. Uwaifo expressed disappointment that, after four years of preparation, INEC was ill-equipped and inadequately prepared for the elections. He also lamented the fact that some Ad Hoc staff were hired only days before the election.
“There were too many people in some polling units, while others had very few voters,” Uwaifo stated. He emphasized that this issue should have been addressed prior to the elections, as the creation of additional polling units should have alleviated congestion. Instead, there were instances where over a thousand voters were crammed into one polling unit, while nearby units had fewer than twenty voters. When inquiries were made, officials explained that the BVAS machines had been customized for specific polling units, yet Uwaifo maintained that INEC had ample time to resolve these issues.
The AfBA also condemned the logistical challenges that resulted in the late deployment of personnel and materials to certain polling units. Uwaifo described this situation as unfortunate, given the time and resources available to the electoral body for conducting the elections. Furthermore, the AfBA observed numerous infractions during the voting process across various polling units, including ballot box snatching, voter intimidation, and the failure of presiding officers to transmit election results from their respective units.
In response to the announcement of the election results, the continental bar association urged all aggrieved parties to avoid actions that could escalate tensions and instead seek redress through the judicial system.
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