Group urges INEC to address rainfall challenges during elections

An election observer group, Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to establish comprehensive protocols to address challenges caused by rainfall during elections.

In its post-election report on the Edo State governorship poll, the group highlighted how unforeseen circumstances, such as heavy rainfall, created significant challenges during the recent election.

KDI Executive Director, Bukola Idowu, at a press conference in Abuja, called on INEC to prioritise the adoption of automated systems for result collation and management.

“INEC must strengthen its contingency planning to account for logistical disruptions, including weather-related challenges, which have the potential to delay election processes. INEC should also develop comprehensive protocols to address unforeseen circumstances (force majeure), such as heavy rain during the election. This will ensure that voting continues smoothly and election timelines are adhered to, despite external factors,” the report stated.

The report further warned about the threats posed by vote buying, stressing that “the impunity with which vote buying and selling occurred during the election is alarming and poses a significant threat to the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.”

It emphasised the need for strict enforcement of electoral laws, particularly those concerning vote trading, and urged the prosecution of offenders to send a clear message that electoral malpractice will not be tolerated.

KDI also raised critical concerns about the integrity of the result management process, following an analysis of data uploaded to the IReV.

It stated: “Firstly, KDI has consistently expressed concern over the long-standing issues in Nigeria’s result collation process, which remains vulnerable to human error and system failures. We are deeply troubled by the recurring rituals at collation centres, where stakeholders’ concerns are frequently dismissed with the standard response: ‘Point noted.’

“No administrative steps are taken to assess the merit or demerit of these concerns. This trend has been observed in previous elections, including the Edo State election, despite Section 65 of the Electoral Act empowering INEC to review election results within seven days of their announcement. INEC’s own 2022 Guidelines and Regulations for the Conduct of Elections (Section 99) further clarify this administrative power.”

Finally, the report urged INEC to thoroughly examine the quality of training provided to ad hoc staff and investigate any potential instances of sabotage within the result management process.