Violence mars polls in many centres… See videos

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu has reported the disruptions of elections in some polling units at Okota, Oshodi and Elegushi areas of Lagos in Saturday’s national elections.

Yakubu said at the national collation centre in Abuja on Saturday that the affected polling points that witnessed violence have been noted, and assured that other areas where elections did not take place would receive attention.

“In Lagos, we have been closely following the situations in Okota, Mafoluku Oshodi and Elegushi. We have been able to underline the situation in a number of places including Ikate where voting is ongoing. So, we’ll keep our eyes on the processes in the other areas of the nation”, the INEC chairman said.

In some polling units in Lagos State, violent disruption were witnessed in some polling units resulting from political thugs that invaded the the centres to either chase voters away or snatch ballot boxes and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.

INEC chairman himself announced to the media on Saturday that polling units in Niger, Delta and Katsina States were attacked by thugs, who snatched eight BVAS machines, although three of them were later recovered.

In Lagos, Breezy News witnessed the disruption of voting in a unit at Ogundele Street, Ladipo-Sogunle where thugs snatched ballot boxes while the election was in progress. As at 5 pm, the teams of the police and backup soldiers were yet to nab the suspects.

On Dipolubi Street in the Surulere area of Lagos, a woman, Bina Jennifer Efidi, was allegedly stabbed by thugs loyal to a political party at the polling unit. She, however, came back to cast her vote after being given first aid treatment and wearing heavy bandage on her face and dripping with blood.

Her picture and video went viral on social media with some Nigerians commending her resolve and raising money for her.

Her younger sister, Bina said, “We have taken her to the hospital but she is resting now. We have not reported it to the police but they visited her at the hospital”.

According to Sunday PUNCH, a polling unit outside the Oba Elegushi Palace at Ikate in Eti-Osa, Lekki, was attacked by thugs. The hoodlums carted away ballot boxes and chased away electoral officers.

A resident of the area said: “The information I’m getting is that violence erupted outside the Oba’s palace. The ballot boxes were snatched and everybody ran away. Thugs are still hanging around the area”.

Also, a popular tweep, Samuel Otigba, who voted in the polling unit inside the palace wrote on Twitter: “The vote outside the palace was scattered by area boys. Ballot box jacked (hijacked). (Thugs) chased the presiding officer away.

These are the APC agents at Oba Elegushi that said their people outside will beat me up. They said they have marked my face. Thanks to my friend, Mr Oye Elegushi, he made sure I got home safe with madam. pic.twitter.com/B9bHW8S5PZ

— Samuel Otigba (@SamuelOtigba) February 25, 2023

“They just physically assaulted @EditiEffiong because he was videoing the whole thing. He tried running into the palace when they saw and chased him but they locked the gate. This is madness. The police officers here just stood & did nothing. They took his phone & deleted the video.

“Was outside when they chased and assaulted @EditiEffiong, tried recording but they are beating anyone recording here & taking your phone if they spot you. Area dey hot”.

In Rivers State, a pregnant woman identified as Ruth Osah; and a member of a local security outfit, Mark Orduize were allegedly killed at a polling unit in the Ubimini community, Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State. Orduize was said to be a member of the Emohua Local Vigilante Service.

The incident was said to have occurred in Ward 12 in Emuoha Local Government Area, where houses were also burnt. The incident caused pandemonium in the area and temporarily halted the elections.

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is leading the Commonwealth Election Observation Mission to Nigeria, expressed concern over some glitches he noticed at various polling units within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Mbeki, who gave his assessment of the elections at the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, decried the late arrival of polling materials and INEC officials at the polling units he visited. He noted that whereas officials of the electoral body got late to the respective polling units he visited, it took over an hour before electorates were eventually allowed to cast their ballot.

The former President of South Africa disclosed that in one of the polling units he visited, INEC officials arrived at the center around 11:30 am. According to him, while he waited at one of the units, the principal electoral officer, upon his arrival with the polling materials, took a long time in addressing voters on the voting procedure.

“As he was educating the voters and took much time, it looked odd”, Mbeki added, stressing that some of the electorates became agitated owing to the late commencement of voting.

“We arrived at the second polling unit around 10 am, the same time as the INEC. When we got to the 3rd one, they just arrived and that was around 11:30 am. When we left, only two people had voted.

“Part of what was the issue was that the officials had to stamp the voters papers and sign them, but their ink was dry. He had to make a call. As we were there, another official came and said their pad for the thumbprint was also dry.

“At that point, a police officer that was standing next to me said it was too early for the ink to dry up. Hopefully, they would sort out the problem.

“The point we are making is that where we went, the officials arrived late and it took a lot of time for people to vote. People at the first polling unit really cooperating, but in the second one, they were already agitating. It was very bad.

“The official apologised for starting late because apparently the vehicles to convey the materials arrived late.

“I think that INEC can correct some of these things. Otherwise, the voters themselves seemed to be in good mood”, Mbeki added.

In its interim statement on the elections, the Situation Room, which is a coalition of over 70 Civil Society Organisations, said it was hopeful that INEC would “resolve existing and emerging challenges relating to deployment of electoral officials and materials, prompt commencement of polls, and accreditation and voting.

In a statement by conveners of the Situation Room – Ene Obi, Asma’u Joda and James Ugochukwu – the Situation Room reported: “There was late deployment of election materials across the country, with less than 30 percent of polling units starting on time, according to reports from our network of observers and partners.

“States where polls opened around 8.30 am include Bauchi, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe and Jigawa. However, in Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers, Kaduna and FCT, there has been significant delays in commencement of polls, with many polling units yet to open as at 11.30 am.

“In most states, deployment of election officials and materials to the RACs commenced early hours of this morning, making it extremely difficult for the election to commence on time. In some states, many ad hoc staff could not find their names on the staff list, even after participating in the training exercise, causing further delays.

“There were reports of deployment of election materials to the wrong polling units in parts of North West and North East states”.