YIAGA on Kogi, Bayelsa polls: We can verify if the results announced reflect votes cast

YIAGA AFRICA, a civil society organisation (CSO), says it can verify if results announced at the end of elections reflect the votes cast.

The election observer and monitoring group said this in its preliminary report on Saturday’s elections in Bayelsa and Kogi.

It said the methodology used via its Watching The Vote (WTV) project, could determine accuracy of the electoral process.

“YIAGA AFRICA Watching the Vote (WTV) for the 16th November 2019 Governorship election in Bayelsa state deployed 500 polling unit observers to a total of 250 sampled polling units in each of the eight Local Government areas with 21 mobile observers roving the LGAs in the State providing near real time information on the conduct of the election across the state,” the statement read.

“The WTV polling unit observers deployed by 7:00am to the sampled polling units and will remain at the polling unit till the close of polls and posting of results at the polling units. In order to provide accurate and timely information on the election process, YIAGA AFRICAs Watching the Vote is deploying the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) which is an advanced and proven methodology that employs well established statistical principles and utilizes sophisticated information technologies for election observation. Using this methodology, YIAGA AFRICA can independently determine if the official result announced reflects the votes cast.”

The group said it observed incidents of “vote buying and harassment of voters” in different polling units across Bayelsa.

It also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel elections in polling units with cases of snatching of ballot papers, violence, and disruption.

The group also said that some WTV observers were attacked by party agents in Opolo Town Hall, Epie II Ozyi polling unit in Yenagoa LGA while observing materials that were confiscated.

It also called on the INEC to investigate wards where materials were carted away and postpone voting for those locations to enable voters to participate the following day.

In Kogi, the group said some voters were paid N5,000 in exchange for their votes.

“Voter Inducement and Vote buying: reports on voter inducement and vote buying were observed across the LGAs,” it said.

“Specifically, YIAGA AFRICA received reports of voter inducement and vote buying in Adavi (PU 001 Afinorere ward), Ankpa (PU 010, Ward 01), Ibaji (PU 007, Itale Iyanu ward), Idah (PU 001, Ugwod ward), Yagba East (PU 01, ward 08), Kogi K.K (PU 005, Ukwu ward) and Ajaokuta (PU 005, Deregu ward) LGA. Voters were paid as much as N5,000 in some cases in exchange for their votes.

“At Aluaja, Iyano Ward in Ibaji LGA, INEC officials were given N15,000 and Security agents N50,00 to compromise the process.”

The group also observed the intimidation and harassment of voters in some polling units in the state.