Supplementary Polls: Military, Security Agency Must Remain Professional, Non-Partisan – YIAGA AFRICA

BY GLORIA USMAN, ABUJA – Ahead of the March 23 supplementary elections, YIAGA AFRICA, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), has called on the security agencies in the country to remain non-partisan and professional in their conduct by respecting the rights of the electorates as they cast their votes.

YIAGA Africa also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to make public the data on permanent voter’s card (PVC), collection rates in the affected polling units in order to ensure election transparency.

The Chairman of ‘Watching The Vote (WTV),’ Working Group of YIAGA AFRICA, Dr. Hussaini Abdu, who stated these on Friday while briefing the media on the 2019 Governorship and State Assembly Supplementary Elections in Abuja, also criticized the rate of judicial interference with the electoral process in parts if the country. 

YIAGA AFRICA stressed the need for proper coordination between the military and the police, adding that it is important to note that the police is the lead security agency responsible for election security.

He further said; “Such proper lines of communication and rules of engagement should be adhered to. Security deployment for elections should be commiserate with level of threats.

He said politicians in an attempt to woo voters, have resorted to voter inducement using gift items, suspicious community empowerment programmes and cash handouts in locations considered to be swing wards and polling units.

Abdu further said; ”From all indications, the supplementary elections in some states will be determined by the highest bidder.”

He called on INEC to ensure accurate and timely deployment of election materials to affected polling units on Election Day.

According to him, “It is important to note that these supplementary elections were occasioned by the non-use of card readers or failure to deploy them to affected polling units.

”With this in mind, INEC must insists on electronic accreditation of voters using the Smart Card Readers and PVC.”

He called on the political parties to encourage their supporters to come out and vote within the ambit of the law and urged them to refrain from the use of thugs in the elections.

Abdu said that YIAGA AFRICA would deploy about 258 stationary observers and six roving observers, adding that 97 observers would be deployed to the Local Government and State result collation centres respectively.