Despite some observable improvements in the electoral process during the March 18 governorship and State Assembly polls compared to the February 25 presidential and National Assembly polls, voting on the election day was marred by multiple incidents of electoral violence leading to the death of no fewer than 21 persons, the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission has said.
According to reports from multiple media sources, Barry Andrews, the EU Chief Observer in Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, told journalists in Abuja on Monday that at least 21 persons were killed across the country in electoral violence during the March 18 governorship and State Assembly elections.
Andrews, in a preliminary statement on the EU EOM findings on the governorship and State Assembly elections, said Nigerians hungered for democracy and were ready to be involved in the country’s democracy but the appetite was lost due to failures by political elites and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He noted massive voter apathy on March 18, which he blamed mainly on the disappointment of voters’ expectations during the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.
“Throughout the mission, we saw that Nigerians have a great appetite for democracy and are keen to engage in various civic activities,” Andrews said.
“However, in many parts of the country, their expectations were not met. Many were disappointed and we witnessed voter apathy that is in part a clear consequence of failures by political elites and, unfortunately, also by INEC,” he said.
The EU Chief Observer said public confidence and trust in INEC were severely damaged on 25 February due to lack of transparency and operational failures in the conduct of the federal level polls.
“Up until the postponement, INEC continued to abstain from providing information, limiting its communication to a few press releases and ceremonial statements and hence failing to address public grievances and rebuild confidence in the electoral process,” Andrews said.
On a positive note, he said INEC introduced some corrective measures ahead of the March 18 polls, allowing a timely delivery of sensitive materials and improved use of election technologies.
He said the March 18 elections did not face the same problems with the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as was experienced on February 15.
However, he said, INEC “continued to lack transparency” despite these improvements.
“Polling on election day was disrupted by multiple incidents of thuggery and intimidation of voters, polling officials, observers, and journalists,” he noted.
He said there were also records of vote buying in several parts of the country.
