On Sunday, the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), a human rights organization, criticized President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) for publicly displaying his ballot paper after voting in Daura during the presidential and National Assembly elections. The organization condemned this action as vote selling and a violation of the Electoral Act, asserting that the President was clearly canvassing for votes for his candidates, which contravenes legal provisions. Faith Nwadishi, the Executive Director of CTA, expressed these concerns following the presentation of the organization’s preliminary statement on the conduct of the general elections.
Nwadishi also criticized certain politicians who arrived at polling units accompanied by armed security personnel and aides, contrary to directives issued by the Inspector-General of Police. She stated, “What the President did is pure canvassing of votes. We also frown at those candidates who come with their aides to polling units.” According to her, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines specify who should be present at polling units, including security officers, accredited observers, accredited party agents, voters with Permanent Voter Cards assigned to that particular polling unit, and candidates voting there.
Beyond canvassing, Nwadishi argued that while no one would likely pay the President for his vote, he could still be accused of vote selling, canvassing, and disrupting the election process. She pointed out that the presence of his aides, who were not accredited for that polling unit, further complicated the situation. Nwadishi expressed concern over the broader culture of candidates and senior government officials arriving at polling units with security aides, despite clear instructions from the Inspector-General of Police prohibiting armed security agents or more than one aide. She noted that such actions often lead to disruptions at polling units.
The issue extends to community leaders and district heads, who also arrive late at polling units with entourages that disrupt the electoral process. Nwadishi lamented that security agents often fail to take action against these violations, stating, “We view very seriously the fact that senior political leaders will go to vote and show their own card, and then also come with a retinue of aides to the polling unit and disrupt elections.” She emphasized that these actions break two laws without consequences, contrasting them with ordinary citizens who would be accused of attempting to sell their votes under similar circumstances.
In a related statement, Professor Anthony Kola-Olusanya, a member of the CTA expert team and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Osun State University, reported that some ad hoc staff of INEC showed insufficient familiarity with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). Observers noted challenges such as incorrect codes and poor network connectivity. Kola-Olusanya indicated that reports from observers across 982 polling units revealed that the BVAS functioned effectively in 76 percent of those locations. However, there were instances where ad hoc staff failed to upload results at the end of the polls as required by the guidelines.
He further highlighted that INEC officials and materials generally did not arrive on time at most polling units. Although INEC proposed that accreditation should begin at 8:30 AM, polling officials and materials often did not arrive until after 10:30 AM. Despite this, reports indicated that in 53 percent of polling units, INEC officials and materials arrived between 7 AM and 8:30 AM. The late arrival of officials led to hurried setups, which sometimes resulted in polling officials neglecting to properly brief voters on voting procedures.
Kola-Olusanya noted that while security personnel were expected to be present before voting commenced, many were not on-site until around 9 to 10 AM. On average, there were about four security personnel in the polling units observed, and they generally conducted themselves professionally. Voter turnout was reported to be impressive, with many voters arriving before the INEC officials and materials. Most voters behaved peacefully and adhered to voting guidelines.
However, reports indicated that some political parties and their agents engaged in acts of intimidation and harassment against voters, particularly those perceived to support opposing candidates. These incidents often occurred in plain view of security personnel. Observers also reported a new dimension to vote buying and selling, including cash transfers, food vouchers, and the collection of names and account details. This trend may be linked to the deployment of the BVAS and the effects of the naira redesign policy, suggesting that vote buying remains a persistent issue in the electoral landscape.
Additionally, there were reports of violence in some states, including physical injuries and the destruction of voting materials. As the collation process and elections in rescheduled areas continue, the CTA urges all stakeholders to act peacefully and responsibly. They specifically call on INEC to uphold the highest standards of neutrality and accountability.
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