The governorship elections in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa states were characterized as relatively peaceful by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG). In a statement released on Saturday, TMG Chairman Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani) reported impressive voter turnout in Imo and Kogi, contrasting with a lower turnout in Bayelsa.
TMG attributed the diminished participation in Bayelsa to adverse weather conditions, challenging terrain, logistics issues, and voter apathy at several polling units.
Despite the generally peaceful atmosphere, the chairman acknowledged incidents of violence in specific polling units, such as Ayingba and Idah town in Ida local government areas, where the military allegedly intervened, resulting in the death of a political thug.
Additionally, instances of vote trading were reported in specific locations, including PU 010, Ekinrin-Ade, Ijumu LGA, and Imiringi, PU 002, Ward 008, Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State.
Commending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the TMG chairman praised the timely arrival of election materials across the states, as well as the effective deployment and functionality of the Biometric Verification Authentication System (BVAS) in polling units across the three states. The chairman also acknowledged the high level of professionalism exhibited by security officials during the electoral process.
According to the statement, “TMG observers reported pockets of violence in few of the polling units observed across the states. Political thugs were reportedly killed by the military in Ayingba and Idah town in Ida LGA of Kogi State.
“On incidence of vote trading, while sections 121 and 127 of the Electoral Act 2022 prohibit vote trading, TMG observers reported that several means were devised to induce voters by desperate politicians who were seen doling out cash gifts ranging from N5,000 to N30,000, food items and clothing materials (wrappers) in some of the polling units observed. These include PU 010, Ekinrin-Ade, Ijumu LGA, Imiringi, PU 002, Ward 008, Ogbia LGA, Bayelsa.”
