YAGA- Africa, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address the problem missing names of electorate in the voters’ register to prevent disenfranchisement of intending voters.

The Chairman of YIAGA AFRICA `Watching The Vote’, Dr Hussaini Abdu made the call at a news briefing on Saturday in Abuja.

He said the commission must also address problem of non payment of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) drivers who were expected to support the deployment of election materials and personnel.

Abdu call on the electoral umpire to extend the voting period across board for all eligible voters to exercise their franchise and ensure transparency of the results collation process.

The chairman said collation centres should be provisioned with adequate lighting facilities and calculators to avoid computational inaccuracies that could undermine the integrity of the election.

He called on INEC to ensure that polling officials strictly adhere to the electoral guidelines on accreditation and voting and ensure instructions are given to security personnel to allow free movement of accredited observers.

According to him,  YIAGA AFRICA Watching the Vote deployed 3,906 observers throughout the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the country.

“The number includes 3,030 Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) observers who were deployed in pairs to a random, representative statistical sample of 1,515 polling units where they will remain throughout the day,” he said.

The chairman explained that the deployment would enable YIAGA AFRICA to independently verify the accuracy of the official presidential election result when it is announced by INEC.

“YIAGA AFRICA undertook the Watching the Vote project to provide Nigerian voters, presidential candidates, political parties, civil society and INEC with independent information about whether the official results for the Feb. 23, 2019 presidential election truly reflects the ballots cast at polling units,’’ he said.

The chairman said that as at 7:30 am, YIAGA AFRICA WTV observers reported that INEC Officials had arrived at 31 per cent of polling units though arrival rates varied by geopolitical zones.

Abdu said at about 10:00 a.m., 41 per cent of polling units had opened across the country. Opening rates again varied by geopolitical zone.

The chairman said snatching of election materials by unknown person was reported in Okrika LGA, River state which led to no voting in wards 06, 07, 08 and 09 in the area.

Abdu said the ugly incident was also reported in polling unit 003 ward 10 Emohua LGA, of the state and that vote buying were reported in polling units 010/01/10/13 in Omala LGA in Kogi state. (NAN)

– Feb. 23, 2019 @ 17:05 GMT |