Edo Guber Election:There were Votes for Cash & Cash for Votes....Says TMG

On Wednesday, September 28, 2016, the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) deployed 100 citizen observers throughout the Edo State to observe the gubernatorial election. TMG Observers were deployed across the 18 local government areas (LGAs) of Edo State.  TMG observers witnessed the entire Election Day process from setup of the polling unit through the announcement and posting of the official results. Accordingly, TMG observers called the Information Center to report their observation findings at the end of the exercise. Summary of findings...

Based on our observer reports from all the 18 LGAs, TMG finds that the Election Day process commenced early in most of the polling units visited, there was prompt deployment of materials and personnel by INEC except in a few places as well as proper conduct by security personnel in all the polling units visited. Largely, the polling process was generally peaceful in spite of few reported incidents of violence, intimidation, harassment and delays during the set-up and opening of polling units, and those associated with accreditation and voting processes. 

TMG observers reported complaints about allegations of inducement of voters by political partieson the basis of ‘vote for cash/cash for vote’ to influence who they voted for. This will be a sore narrative of 2016 Edo State Election. We condemn the pathetic, sorrowful and ignoble act as it is our considered view that when people sell their votes, they become slaves to those who bought it, they surrender their power and strength as citizens and they are robbed of the moral right to hold the politicians accountable or question any wrong doing by the politicians. 

TMG, however, wishes to recognize the commendable level of participation in the election by the citizens of Edo State and congratulate their peaceful conduct throughout the Election Day process. TMG also observed that the adequate security presence at the polling units was of tremendous help in maintaining the peaceful environment. TMG notes further that the process provided most people of Edo State with a meaningful opportunity to exercise their rights to vote, and that in spite of the few reported incidents of intimidation, violence, and voter inducement, these incidents do not significantly undermine the integrity of the accreditation, voting and counting processes.