From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a thumb up for playing its role well in yesterday’s governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states.
In a statement issued by the Chairman, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani) yesterday, TMG commended INEC for ensuring earlier arrival of election materials across the states, as well as adequate deployment and functionality of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) across polling units in the three states.
It described the governorship elections in the three states as relatively peaceful.
TMG said that observers reported impressive voter turnout in Imo and Kogi states and a low turnout in Bayelsa.
It also attributed the low turnout in Bayelsa to poor weather conditions, difficult terrain and logistics issues, as well as voter apathy in a number of polling units.
The TMG noted that there were some polling units, which witnessed pockets of violence, particularly in Ayingba and Idah town, in Ida local government areas, where the military reportedly killed a political thug, as well as incidents of vote trading as witnessed in PU 010, Ekinrin-Ade, Ijumu LGA, Imiringi, PU 002, Ward 008, Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State.
The TMG also noted that security officials deployed a high level of professionalism during the exercise.