The European Union Election Observation Mission in Nigeria has picked holes in Nigeria’s ongoing electoral process. In its preliminary statement forty-eight hours after the election, the Mission observed that though elections held on schedule “but lack of transparency and operational failures reduced trust in the process and challenges the right to vote” Barry Andrews “Millions
The European Union Election Observation Mission in Nigeria has picked holes in Nigeria’s ongoing electoral process. In its preliminary statement forty-eight hours after the election, the Mission observed that though elections held on schedule “but lack of transparency and operational failures reduced trust in the process and challenges the right to vote”
Barry Andrews
“Millions of Nigerian voters cast their vote in the Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives elections despite prevailing challenges. I commend the patience of voters as well as the commitment of youth, who have contributed hugely to the democratic process,” said Barry Andrews at a press conference in Abuja today.
The Observation Mission also raised the following issues among others:
“INEC held the elections on schedule despite a very challenging environment. Stakeholders overall expressed confidence in INEC independence and professionalism in the preparatory phase. However, INEC’s lack of efficient planning in critical stages and effective public communication reduced trust in the process, including on election day.
“According to the findings of EU EOM observers, election day was marked by late deployment and opening while polling procedures were not always followed. Polling staff struggled to complete result forms, which were not posted publicly in most polling units observed. The introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) were perceived as an important step to ensure the integrity and credibility of the elections. However, uploading of the results using the BVAS did not work as expected and presidential election result forms started to appear on the portal very late on election day, raising concerns.
“The general elections offered voters a real choice of candidates in a highly competitive campaign. However, political parties denounced unequal campaign conditions due to interference and increase in violent incidents with a potential to impact the elections and suppress voter participation. Civil society played an increasingly important role in mobilising youth, supporting voter education and, with almost 150,000 observers, holding electoral institutions accountable.
“The tabulation exercise is still ongoing, and we will follow the processes until the end. I encourage stakeholders to continue demonstrating commitment to a peaceful process – before and after the results are announced. Any dispute arising from the electoral process should be addressed through established legal channels,” said Barry Andrews.
Ms. Evin Incir, Head of Delegation of the European Parliament, said: “I wish to express my concern that less than 10 percent of candidates were women. The next government and parliament should heed to the manifestos of the main political parties of Nigeria, which call for affirmative action, such as quotas.”
“Media offered an extensive and fairly equitable campaign coverage despite challenges. Social media platforms were misused to spread harmful content and measures taken by platforms to protect electoral integrity were insufficient. Positively, online and offline media joined forces with civil society and fact checkers to safeguard the integrity of the pre-election information environment”.
On Election Technology
Public enthusiasm for the 2023 election was strengthened by the introduction by INEC, for the first time in a
general election, of new technology for voter verification and electronic transmission of results forms. BVAS
was used for biometric facial and fingerprint voter verification and for scanning and uploading the forms.
INEC used the IReV portal for publication of results to enhance transparency and trust and to minimise malpractices.
Hardware and software specifications of BVAS, test results, audits, basic procurement details, protocols
and guidelines for specific operations and functionality were not made public. Functionality and specifics
of the transmission of the results forms were also unclear, without details publicly available, apart from
information found in late published manuals, lessening transparency, trust, and certainty.
INEC missed the opportunity to substantively test operational issues connected with its technology before
election day. On 4 February, it conducted an inadequate mock exercise in 436 polling stations testing the
functionality of the BVAS. EU EOM observers and other stakeholders noted that the timing of the mock,
the small size of the sample, low voter participation, and missing guidelines diminished the practical value
of the exercise, while exposing some technical problems with biometric recognition and transmission of
results. Further, the mock was run only by INEC professional staff and not by election day poll workers.
There was delayed recruitment and training of key technical support staff as well as of polling staff
handling BVAS. On election day, a BVAS offline option to upload results forms, in case of weak internet
connection, was largely unused, which contributed to issues with the transmission of the results forms. EU
EOM observers noted that the number of accredited voters was not always sent from BVAS regularly after
the closing. Further, scans of presidential elections results forms were often impossible to upload, unlike
House of Representatives and Senate at least partly.
On the Media
Media offered an extensive coverage of the campaign, despite economic hardship, institutional pressures,
and electoral violence. However, with stories about the Naira swap, and APC and PDP mutual and
intraparty mudslinging dominating the newscasts, little space was left for scrutiny of contestants’ policies.
Alarming and divisive conspiracy theories, circulating online, shaped political discussions on TV and
radio, and distorted the information environment to the detriment of voters. Positively, many outlets
engaged in fact-checking, promoted voter information, and probed INEC’s election preparations.
Media freedom continued to be constrained by systemic drawbacks. Those include federal government and
governor interference and pressure on news outlets, symbiotic relationships between politicians and some
media houses, as well as unpunished harassment of and threats to journalists. Over the last eight months,
at least 17 journalists who made critical comments on politically sensitive topics offline or online, were
detained or questioned by police for inciting disturbance, for defamation or for similar, vaguely defined
offenses, which do not conform to Nigeria’s regional and international commitments.
With a few exceptions, broadcast media, as monitored by the EU EOM, equitably divided news coverage
between the APC and PDP. Meaningful visibility was given also to LP and NNPP. The overall tone was
negative for the two lead parties, as up to 70 per cent of political news stories were built on direct quotes
of APC and PDP officials who derided each other. Talk shows on TV and radio focused on hardships or
political animosities, with contestants shunning questions on their policies. While lively, such coverage
did not stimulate an issue-based debate and, coupled with confusing and malign content that migrated
across all media platforms, reduced voters’ informed participation in the elections. Voters could not
compare lead presidential candidates directly, as APC and PDP rebuffed public debate offered by media.
President Buhari was given a positive coverage within the news across all media monitored, primarily
praising his legacy through newly inaugurated infrastructure projects, but rarely alluding to his
endorsement of Tinubu. The share of news about the president was 35 per cent on state-run NTA, around
20 per cent on all monitored radio stations and about 12 per cent on private TVs.
While no actions were taken against APC and PDP candidates who used inflammatory language during
rallies, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) disproportionately penalised two national TV stations
who quoted those party officials in their broadcasts. NBC’s sanction did not allow for a due process, unduly
impeded media freedom and fostered self-censorship at editorial level. EU EOM observers reported
journalists abstain from critical reporting, fearing retribution from the governor in at least 20 states.
Participation of Women and Other Marginalised Groups
Political inclusion and participation among marginalised groups remain a significant challenge although
INEC made some positives effort, notably for persons with disabilities. Other legal restrictions impair
participation of marginalised groups and contrary to international commitments. For example, the right to
stand depends on mandatory political party membership and minimum educational qualifications.
Women accounted for less than 10 per cent of candidates, a continuing decline since 2010, underscoring a
lack of affirmative action at odds with the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination
against Women and constitutional guarantees for equality. The defeat of proposed laws for inclusion in
2022 marked another setback for women’s political rights. Ahead of these elections, at least two women
candidates, including one for governor, faced unsuccessful efforts by their parties to exclude them.
Incentives for women to contest party primaries free of charge were not followed by genuine supports, as
those availing of such opportunities often faced criticism from their own party for not contributing to party
funds. Impediments from abuse and intimidation, including on-line, are widely reported.
EU EOM observers also noted that women candidates face significant challenges campaigning due to financial
constraints and social resistance. INEC states that over 60 per cent of its staff are women, however key
decision-making posts are overwhelmingly occupied by men. Among 36 RECs only three are women.
Please read Full Statement below:
