Election Infractions: Foreign Observers Ask INEC To Review Ebonyi Results

An Independent National Elec[1]toral Commission (INEC) ac[1]credited international observer group, PAN African Women Project Observation Mission has called on the electoral body to review the election results and outcomes in most of the areas with electoral infractions in Ebonyi State.

The head of mission of the group to Nigeria 2023 general election, Ms Lutheria Hanson urged the commission to cancel results of extremely violent areas, places where voting didn’t take place and yet results were produced. Hanson also urged the commission to possibly conduct a rerun in the affected areas to show transparency and equity according to international best practices. She said that the governor[1]ship and House of Assembly elections in the state failed to meet the expectations of the people of the state and Nigeria adding that there were cases of harassment and intimidation of the electorates and doctoring of results.

She said that the Bimodal Voters Accredited System (BVAS) recorded some improvement which was better than the presidential election adding that the presence of security personnel didn’t stop the intimidation and harassment of voters by political thugs in most polling units. Hanson said that cases of election violence were record[1]ed in some parts of the state as political thugs invaded polling units to scare the electorates away thereby disenfranchising them. The head of mission said that in Ivo LGA, Obinagu 001, the BVAS was hijacked by political thugs. In Amanonye 003, electorates loyal to the PDP were not allowed to get accredited,