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Okwe Obi, Abuja
A civil society organisation, YIAGA Africa said it has deployed over 258 observers to monitor gubernatorial rerun polls in Benue, Bauchi, Plateau, Kano and Sokoto states.
It explained that the deployment became essential to enable the group to carefully monitor the polls and verify results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC had cancelled results in areas reportedly marred by violence and ballot-box snatching.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Chairman, Watching the Vote Working Group, Dr Hussaini Abdu, explained that the group also deployed seven roving observers in 97 results collation centres.
He said: “YIAGA Africa will deploy 258 stationary observers and six roving observers. Ninety-seven results collation centre observers will be deployed to the LGAs and state’s results collation centres.
“Our observers will observe the entire election day process from the setup of the polling units, accreditation, voting, announcement and posting of the official results and will send in periodic reports to the Watching the Vote National Data Centre.
“This deployment will enable YIAGA AFRICA to provide the most timely and accurate information on the governorship rerun elections in the five states.
Abdu lamented the manner in which some judges granted applications without recourse to judicial precedent and extant laws.
“For instance, Justice Abdulaziz Waziri of the Adamawa State High Court issued an injunction restraining INEC from conducting rerun elections in Adamawa following an application by the Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), a political party that never presented a candidate in the main election.”
He also called on INEC to cautioned collation officers to be mindful of the kind of information dished out in order not to throw the country into chaos.
“YIAGA Africa believes this confusion was informed by INEC’s poor data management and timely dissemination of information on the supplementary elections.
“This we believe may affect the turnout of voters for the supplementary elections,” he added.
