Residents in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa states turned out to vote in the off-season governorship elections on Saturday, despite reports of violence and alleged electoral manipulation. Approximately 5,169,692 eligible voters collected their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVC) for the election, which took place in 10,470 polling units across the three states. Unfortunately, the process was marred by incidents of thuggery and suspicions of manipulation.
INEC had previously informed the public that the election would not be held in two polling units in Bayelsa and 38 in Imo due to security concerns. Violence erupted in several polling units, and there were reports of attempts to manipulate the election outcome. In Kogi, INEC officials were allegedly caught with pre-recorded result sheets, and Senator Dino Melaye raised concerns about result sheets being tampered with or prefilled in Ogori/Magongo local government areas.
Responding to the irregularities, INEC suspended the election in nine wards of Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area. In Bayelsa, an INEC official was kidnapped before the election, and a clash between APC and PDP supporters resulted in the death of an unidentified person. Armed thugs reportedly disrupted the election in Sagbama Local Government Area, carting away election materials and attacking an INEC ad-hoc staff and a corps member.
In Imo, the election at Amaimo Central School was disrupted due to reported gunshots. Security operatives, particularly the police, were accused of aiding thugs and INEC officials to manipulate the process for the APC. Incidents included the disarming of NSCDC officials by police and the theft of election materials by thugs at Umuchoko Umuohiagu Junction Polling Unit.
Kogi’s election was marked by violence, with reports of incidents aimed at snatching electoral materials. Military operatives intercepted and arrested the council chairman and party supporters for possessing ammunition and cash in Igalamela local government area. Fake policemen armed with AK-47s were also apprehended.
A public affairs analyst criticized INEC and security agencies for alleged failure, stating that INEC’s performance in this election was worse than previous ones. He condemned electoral violence and claimed that incumbent governors influenced security agencies, resulting in a sham election with deeper levels of manipulation, violence, and rule violations. The analyst also noted higher levels of vote buying compared to previous elections.