The European Union has criticised Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to meet expectations during the country’s recent electoral process. In a preliminary statement on the governorship and Houses of Assembly elections, Barry Andrews, chief observer of the EU Election Observation Mission (EOM), said Nigerians “hungered for democracy” and were ready to participate, but that enthusiasm was undermined by shortcomings on the part of political elites and INEC.
Andrews noted that, “Throughout the mission, we saw that Nigerians have a great appetite for democracy and are keen to engage in various civic activities. However, in many parts of the country, their expectations were not met. Many were disappointed and we witnessed voter apathy that is in part a clear consequence of failures by political elites and, unfortunately, also by INEC.” He added that public confidence in INEC was severely damaged on 25 February due to a lack of transparency and operational failures in the federal‑level polls. Up to the postponement, INEC limited its communication to a few press releases and ceremonial statements, failing to address public grievances or rebuild confidence in the electoral process.
On a positive note, INEC introduced corrective measures ahead of the Saturday polls, ensuring the timely delivery of sensitive materials and improving the use of election technologies. Nevertheless, the institution continued to lack transparency. Andrews observed that the 18 March elections did not encounter the same problems with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System that plagued the 25 February vote. Despite these improvements, “polling on election day was disrupted by multiple incidents of thuggery and intimidation of voters, polling officials, observers, and journalists,” he said.
The disruptions were most severe in Lagos, Kano, and other states in the southern and central regions, where there were numerous casualties and fatalities. Vote‑buying, directly observed by EU EOM observers, further undermined the proper conduct of the elections.
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