*Decries late arrival of sensitive, non-sensitive materials in more than 50% of 176,606 polling units across Nigeria

*Says excuses from INEC puerile, unjustified

The Caritas Nigeria Foundation of Nigeria in collaboration with the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) situation room have scored the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) below average in its conduct of the Presidential and the National Assembly elections.

The faith-based organizations expressed disappointment with the snail-pace deployment of sensitive and non-sensitive materials in more than 50 per cent of the 176,606 polling units across the country.

Briefing journalists on the findings of the over 6000 election observers deployed across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Executive Secretary of Caritas Nigeria and the National Director, Church and Society Department of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Reverend Fr. Uchechukwu Obodoechina, said that it was disheartening to imagine that after the declaration of curfew before the election the accompanying empty roads and streets, INEC officials and security personnel were unable to reach more than 60 per cent of the Polling Units nationwide before12pm.

Obodoechina observed that excuses from the INEC have been puerile and unjustified; with the paucity of pro-activeness on the part of the National Commissioners responsible for logistics and voter education.

The cleric lamented that the unprecedented and evil manipulation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) in more than 30 per cent of the Polling Units indicate a systematic ploy by INEC to compromise the precedents set by well-meaning Nigerians through the struggles and tussles that led to the passage into law of the 2022 Electoral Act.

Obodoechina argued that with about four years preparation for the 2023 General Elections, no justifiable reason can help placate the impact of this malfunctioning of the BIVAS adding that the idea of the usage of the BIVAS machine for this particular election is not only embarrassing but an insult to the sensibility of Nigerians who waited under the rain and sunshine and still got disenfranchised because of the colossal incapacity to use the BIVAS rightly.

He observed that a great deal of Nigerians was disenfranchised arising from the malfunctioning of the BIVAS, sheer political thuggery, and daylight disruptions of the voting processes and while this held sway, our particular displeasure rest on how INEC officials colluded with Policemen and some State authorities to massively thumbprint ballot papers unhindered (in Lugbe Abuja, Apapa Lagos, Obior/Akpo Rivers, and in some parts of Katsina, Kano, and Gombe States).

He said: “Our accredited Observers numbering 6000 have sent in structured reports across the 36 states of the federation including the FCT, within the last 96 hours detailing trends of logistics preparation, deployment of

sensitive and non-sensitive materials; the use of BIVAS for voter accreditation, verification and actual voting; the subsequent electronic transmission of results and other electoral behaviour displayed at the polls.

“There are reports signalling sabotage and crass complicity as some state officials made the arrival of materials difficult in other to gain political advantage for their parties. The destruction of the roads leading to some opposition strongholds in Kogi State not only amounts to a subliminal crime of some sort but must be treated as an economic sabotage of the highest proportion designed to derail the electoral process.

In the FCT, we noted in utter amazement, the poor deployment of materials to Polling Units whose distance is not more than five kilometers from the FCT Commission’s office. This is unsatisfactory, coming from INEC”.

“On Accreditation and Verifications of Voters the BIVAS in itself is good, having worked in some countries and in the recently conducted off-cycle Gubernatorial elections in Ekiti, Osun, and Anambra.

“However, the unprecedented and evil manipulation of the system in more than 30 per cent of the Polling Units indicate a systematic ploy by INEC to compromise the precedents set by well-meaning Nigerians through the struggles and tussles that led to the passage into law of the 2022 Electoral Act.

“Otherwise, how do we explain, for instance, the deployment of one BIVAS machine in polling units having more than 2000 voters who had waited for more than 5 hours in long queues without the sight of INEC officials?

Adding: “It is even appallingly awful to receive complaints from Presiding Officers who insisted that they were given wrong codes and uncharged batteries for the BIVAS machines in most rural areas observed. In addition to the above, how on earth can we explain the snatching of the BIVAS in some Polling Units under the watch of Policemen and other security personnel and threats of death issued to Presiding Officers and agents who dare question the thugs?

“In some instances, sensitive and non-sensitive materials were burnt by thugs; voters and observers were beaten to stupor in the full glare of security personnel who not only watched these happen, but participated in the charade in some Polling Units in Lagos, FCT, Delta, and Rivers States. Additionally, cases of underage voting were noted in most parts of the Gombe, Kano, and Katsina States under the handling of trained INEC officials. The alleged killing of Presiding Officers in Edo and Rivers because of refusal to compromise the integrity of the process reflects an untold story of how not to conduct General Elections under the watch of supposedly “sane” Professors and State Governors.

“Again, in this modern times and age, how can one successfully explain network glitches as reasons for the inability to have a seamless transmission of election results within 72 hours after voting? The jamming of the network by the ICT unit of the INEC National Office indicates utter ignorance and incompetence assuming we want to undermine other reasons such as collusion and complicity. To say the least, while some Polling Units experienced a relatively peaceful voting process, the odious happening in the places noted above leave indelible marks in our pursuit for democratic elections.”

He commended the patriotism and resilience of Nigerians to achieve peaceful conduct of the General Elections so far. He advised that the peace be sustained and that the high spirit should not be dampened by naysayers.