The election observer organization Connected Development (CODE) condemned attacks on its lead officer’s pregnant wife, Ebonyi field observer Friday Olokor, and accused security agencies—particularly the Nigeria Police Force—of undermining the governorship and state‑assembly elections in Nigeria. CODE said security personnel were responsible for the spate of violence and voter suppression that have characterised the election so far. Executive Director Hamzat Lawal made these statements while releasing the organization’s preliminary report on the Abuja elections on Saturday.
Lawal lamented that the response of security agencies, including the police, which is the lead agency for election security, to alerts of violence and intimidation during the polls was “nothing to write home about.” While commending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the early deployment of materials and the opening of polls, CODE expressed concerns about the conduct of elections in some polling stations. He said, “First, let me iterate that we condemn in strong terms the attack and suppression of voters in a number of polling units. For example, in Ebonyi State, one of our own accredited field observers, Uzodimma Lucy Ogodo, was brutally attacked for refusing to vote for a particular party. This is unacceptable and contrary to the tenets of democracy that we strive to uphold as a nation.”
Lawal emphasized that the democratic contract of the country guarantees citizens the exclusive right to determine their leaders, and that this right must be protected. “We are again calling on security agencies to act swiftly and ensure justice is served,” he added. He noted that, based on reports from CODE’s field observers, other pockets of violence have emerged in numerous polling units across the country. In Lagos State, for instance, the Ojo/Iba LCDA polling unit on Princess Eneni Street, Victory Estate (code 091) was attacked by party hoodlums, and the pregnant wife of CODE’s Lagos State lead was also assaulted and is currently recuperating. “We will not relent until justice is served,” Lawal declared.
According to CODE, the police failed to meet expectations in the face of such violence. “The armed police were not available and did not respond when we escalated the issue of violence. It is an indictment on the police and the Inspector General of Police, who had assured voters of security,” the organization reported.
Lawal also highlighted CODE’s deployment of 20,000 trained observers nationwide through its Uzabe election observation platform. He commended INEC for the timely upload of results on the IReV portal, noting that, despite the observed faults, the commission performed well in several areas. “We recorded the early opening of polls in 79 percent of the polling units observed by CODE, compared with less than 30 percent in the February 25 general elections,” he said. He praised the functionality of the BVAS technology, indicating the commission’s commitment to embracing new tools in the electoral process, and lauded the prompt posting of results, observing that by 3:30 p.m. that afternoon, results from various polling units had already been uploaded.
Concluding, Lawal warned that Nigeria stands on the precipice of monumental democratic change. “The dynamics of our voting patterns and electioneering processes are improving significantly, and we must not allow logistical failures to thwart necessary change. The people have done their part—they are still voting or counting their votes. It is now time for the commission to do its part as well,” he stressed.
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