Involvement of military officers in electoral process is worrisome ― Election observer

AN election observer, Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), on Sunday, lamented the invasion of military officers in some polling units at the just concluded Governorship and State House of Assembly elections across the country.

Its Acting Executive Director, Faith Nwadishi, while presenting the CTA Interim Report before the newsmen in Abuja, said the information from their field observers across the country indicated that some military personnel invaded some houses, especially in Southern part of the country, intimidating and harassing eligible voters so as to prevent them from exercising their franchise.

Nwadishi, who wondered if directive came from the Presidency as earlier directed by President Muhammadu Buhari that soldiers should shoot at sight on any ballot box snatcher, further alleged that security agencies also involved in the disruption of the voting process, harassment of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and election observers in many parts of the country.

According to her, security agents appeared to have conducted themselves well in many voting units; but in many voting units across the country, observers reported that security agents, particularly officers of the Police Force and Armed Forces, were involved in the disruption of the voting process.

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“There was the case of INEC officials and observers held hostage and their personal effects, such as phones, seized at Ward 7, Unit 14, in Oruk Anam, Akwa Ibom State. Our observers also reported that security agents raided a nearby polling unit. A CTA observer narrowly escaped being held by the marauding security agents.

“We (CTA) trained and deployed 1000 accredited domestic observers across the states of the Federation. Our observers reported that there was adequate deployment of security agents, though, in many of the units observed, they acted more like onlookers than law enforcement agents. They failed to act even when electoral crimes were committed in their presence.

“Observers reported many incidents of vote buying which were done in the presence of security agents. Vote buying was in the form of cash and food items. There was the particular example of polling unit 003 Ukwutia, Utwugwang North in Obudu Cross River State; Yammah Viewing Centre Unit, Kwari Area Council and Dutse Alhaji, both in the FCT, where biscuits were shared to voters to vote a particular candidate.” She noted.

The acting director, while comparing the excitement and enthusiasm voters showed during the Presidential and National Assembly elections, said elections of March 9 were marked by a high level of voters’ apathy, adding that most Nigerians, who seem to have seen no reason to vote because of their disappointment with the outcome of the last election, reasoned that it was a waste of time coming out to vote when their expectations were marked with uncertainties.