Isaac Samuel
From gunshots and ballot box snatching in Ogun to large-scale arrests of suspected thugs in Kano and widespread voter apathy in Kogi, Anambra and Oyo, Saturday’s by-elections across parts of the country were marred by violence, irregularities, and poor turnout of voters.
There were also notable glitches with the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in some parts.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted the by-elections to fill two senatorial seats, five federal constituencies, and nine state assembly constituencies across 32 local government areas, 356 wards and nearly 7,000 polling units. Over 3.5 million registered voters were eligible to participate.
In Ogun State, the House of Representatives by-election for Ikenne/Remo North/Sagamu Federal Constituency was disrupted by hooded thugs who stormed polling centres in Iperu, firing gunshots and snatching ballot boxes.
It was reported that at Wesley Nursery and Primary School, Iperu, the voting centre of PDP’s 2023 governorship candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, hoodlums on motorcycles invaded the polling unit around midday, sending voters, INEC officials and journalists fleeing.
An INEC official had earlier reported 123 accredited voters out of 750 registered at the unit by noon before the invasion halted the exercise.
It was reported that armed thugs, numbering about six, masked in hoods and rode on two motorcycles popularly called “okada’ and started shooting dane guns, thereby forcing accredited voters on the queue and journalists to scamper for safety, while they had a free day carting away the ballot boxes.
However, at the Igan/Ajina polling unit 16, ward 2 in Remo North local government, it was relatively peaceful but there were 445 registered voters at the centre, but as of 11:am, just 64 people were available and accredited to vote.
Even with the few turn out, the BIVAS machine encountered challenges identifying the elderly voters
Across Remo North and Ikenne, low turnout and malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) compounded the process, particularly for elderly voters.
The police command later confirmed the arrest of two INEC officials with N2.5 million allegedly meant for electoral offences in Iperu.
The statement reads, “At about 0045hrs, a police patrol team attached to Iperu Remo Division intercepted a Mitsubishi Space wagon, with registration number LAGOS AKD 887 HT with three occupants, Mr. Toryem Joe-Stans and Ms. Mandara Aminat, both officials of INEC, alongside their driver.
“A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of cash sum of two million five hundred thousand naira (₦2,500,000.00) from Mr. Joe-Stans Toryem.
“During interrogation, he confessed that the money was collected at Kehoy Hotel, Iperu, Ogun State, from a man he referred to as “Political Solution”, acting on the directive of his supervisor.
“The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, has, however, ordered that the suspects be transferred to the State CID, Eleweran, for immediate discreet Investigation. He further assures members of the public that monitoring of the election is ongoing and the command will keep the public abreast of the outcome of the investigation.
The re-run and by-elections in Kano were also fraught with violence, ballot snatching, and intimidation of voters.
The police announced the arrest of 288 suspected political thugs in connection with disruptions across Shanono, Bagwai and Ghari constituencies. The police said weapons, including a pump-action rifle, locally made guns, knives and cutlasses, were recovered.
Both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejected the exercise.
The parties cited intimidation, violence, and manipulation. APC demanded outright cancellation of the process, insisting that continuing under “utter brigandage” would set a dangerous precedent.
APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, in a statement on Saturday, appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately cancel the election.
Morka, in the statement, alleged widespread extreme violence and election disruption by armed thugs across several polling units in Shanono and Bagwai and Ghari constituencies.
He said: “Verifiable reports from Shanono and Bagwai Local Government Areas and Ghari constituency have voters fleeing polling areas, with deployed security personnel overwhelmed by the violence, making the prospects of a credible election impossible.
“Proceeding with the Shanono/Bagwai Kano State Constituency bye-election and Ghari rerun election in the atmosphere of utter brigandage and outright violent voter intimidation will be against democratic dictates of free, fair and peaceful election, and set a dangerous precedent for undesirable and unacceptable electoral heist.”
The NNPP is the governing party in Kano state.
In Kogi, residents of Okura constituency largely ignored the polls, with many reportedly going about their normal activities. The election was conducted to replace the late deputy speaker of the state assembly, Enema Paul.
A similar trend played out in Anambra, where INEC officials were left idle at several polling units in Onitsha North 1 constituency due to extremely low voter turnout, despite early arrival of electoral materials.
In Ibadan North federal constituency, Oyo State, reports of vote buying trailed the exercise.
The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Femi Dexter Akin-Alamu, alleged that voters were offered cash and incentives to influence their choices.
However,, the Ganye constituency by-election in Adamawa State was conducted peacefully, with impressive turnout in several polling units.
It was gathered that accreditation and voting commenced on time, and security agents maintained order throughout.
Voting which commenced by 8:30 am local time ended at 2:30 pm, although officials confirmed that all voters already on the queue by the closing time would be allowed to cast their ballots, while no one would be permitted to join after the deadline.
Only two political parties—the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are participating in the election.
Residents of Ganye Local Government Council of Adamawa State have commended the peaceful conduct of the State House of Assembly by-election held on Saturday.
At various polling units visited, including Gangwari Palace, Sanga-Sumi, Kangaraso and Anguwan Leko, voters turned out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.
Electoral materials, both sensitive and non-sensitive, were observed on the ground, with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accrediting voters and conducting the exercise without hitches.
Similarly, Edo Central senatorial by-election was largely hitch-free, with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) commending the peaceful atmosphere across Esan South-West, Esan Central, Esan North-East and Esan South-East.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State expressed concerns over the slow performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in the ongoing by-election in Edo Central Senatorial District.
Okpebholo said this while casting his vote at Ward 2 Polling Unit 1 in Udomi Primary School in Esan Central Local Government.
Speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote, Okpebholo said that although the exercise was peaceful, the BVAS machines deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were causing unnecessary delay.
“Well, I just voted. You can see the frustration.
The BVAS is just too slow. It takes too long before you can get accredited.
” I think INEC needs to look into this. So far, so good, the reports I’m getting are good,” Okpebholo said.
The governor, however, commended INEC for the peaceful conduct of the exercise.
