Civil Society groups who monitored the Rivers rerun elections have queried
why Security officials took away voting materials from polling areas.
In a situation room report made available to newsmen, the Nigeria Civil
Society Situation Room urged the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, to make public all incidence reports all its officials
who participated in the Rivers rerun election.
The Civil Society Report Reads:
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room observed the suspended elections
in Rivers State held on December 10th 2016. Field observers were deployed
to 5 of the LGAs with the largest proportion of elections being redone.
With regards to the election atmosphere, the Situation Room issued a
pre-election statement on the toxic conditions created by political
parties before the poll. Reports of our observation of the Rivers State
re-run election are as follows:
Polling Conduct
The elections started late in all of the areas observed with the earliest
reported starting times being 1030am, with other locations reporting a
start significantly later (Gbe, Gokana 140pm). Delays were so severe in
parts of Khana and Eleme we were unable to confirm if voting started at
all. Interviews with voters in Khana Ward 3 (Lleuku/Nyokoro) reported that
materials and staff never arrived in Lleuku and Nyokoro.
The delays and lack of public information on the situation added to an
already tense and difficult situation, in some cases leading to the
abandonment of the poll (as in Gbe, Gokana). Although disputes with
political parties during the early stages distribution were an obvious
factor Rivers State voters deserve a better explanation as to why their
state again ran 24 hours behind all other states on the start of materials
distribution and why remedial measures were inadequate.
Voting was noted as relatively calm and security appeared to be reasonably
well deployed and managing local scenes well until around 1pm.
In at least two locations there was obvious interference in proper polling
(Etche Ward 13 Unit 16 ballot box stuffing, Gokana – B Dere Community
Primary School party agent handling voters ballots). There was no attempt
by election officials or security personnel to truncate this activity.
Disruption of Voting / Collation
In two wards in Gokana Local Government (B Dere CP School Ward 4 & Bomu
Ward 7 Units 1-8) Situation Room observers were watching the close of
voting and early counting at school and church locations with a cluster of
units which was proceeding without any significant problem.
In both cases a team of police and military personnel arrived and removed
all of the election materials and officials from the location. In Bomu,
presiding officers at 3pm were waiting to count and telling voters they
were waiting for their supervisor. The situation was calm. A combined team
of police and army personnel arrived in Hiluxes with an armored personnel
carrier, chased voters away, and carried away materials and ad hoc staff.
In B Dere, the security team was accompanied by a party agent for one of
the major parties and departed with party supporters from the location.
Situation Room observers interviewed voters from Bodo (St Pius School
Ward who reported that materials were taken away by a combined team of
personnel after a contrived security incident which started with Police
SARS personnel shooting in the air in the vicinity of the polling units).
Interviews and media reports have named Mbeari John Meebari being shot and
killed in this incident.
There are serious allegations by observers, the public, and party
representatives of the same incidents happening systematically in at least
Etche, Andoni, and Eleme local governments in addition to Gokana.
Credibility of the Poll
The credibility of an election hinges on a fair process in the build up to
the poll, a conducive environment, and a transparent counting of votes.
The violent disruption of voting and collation in the areas observed means
that these polls will not be accepted locally as credible, and conduct
observed has called into question the neutrality of security forces and of
election officials.
INEC has issued an interim statement effectively labelling the poll a
success. If this statement pre-dates the breakdown seen on the afternoon
of Saturday 12th this needs correcting. A failure to acknowledge the
serious issues in the poll and the impact on collation would call INEC’s
own credibility into question.
Restoring Transparency
Lastly, we call on INEC to take the following actions:
All incident reports and accounts of its officials should be made
available without favour to Election tribunals, political parties making
submissions and election observers
A breakdown of results for all areas in the state (to unit level) for both
the March and December polls should be made available to political
parties, observers, and the media.
An investigation that includes independent actors should be initiated into
the security incidents affecting the December 10th polls, specifically
looking at why so many areas had officials and materials removed before
collation took place at polling units.
The Situation Room is made up of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)
working in support of credible and transparent elections in Nigeria and
includes such groups as Policy andLegal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN
Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Democracy and Development
(CDD),Proactive Gender Initiative (PGI) Enough is Enough Nigeria,
WANGONET, Partners for Electoral Reform, JDPC and Youth Initiative for
Advocacy, Growth & Advancement (YIAGA). Others are Development Dynamics,
Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Stakeholders Democracy
Network, Human Rights Monitor, Election Monitor, Reclaim Naija, Institute
for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, CITAD, Alliance for Credible
Elections (ACE), Nigeria Women Trust Fund, CISLAC, and several other CSOs
numbering more than seventy.
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