Poll Woes: Opposition Blasts INEC Over Vote-Buying, Electoral Lapses

Following Saturday's governorship election in Ekiti State and several by-elections nationwide, various opposition parties on Sunday voiced strong disapproval regarding the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) handling of the polls. Their grievances included allegations of extensive vote-buying, significant ballot irregularities, and numerous administrative shortcomings.

Despite noting some progress in electoral logistics and the generally peaceful atmosphere during the exercises, these political groups contended that persistent reports of vote-buying, errors on ballot papers, and doubts about the overall transparency of the process cast a shadow over INEC's readiness for upcoming polls.

Mr. Osa Director, the National Publicity Secretary for the Nigeria Democratic Congress, commented that while the Ekiti governorship election proceeded without violence, it was unfortunately tainted by numerous claims of vote-buying and other forms of malpractice.

In his statement, Director highlighted: “Although the Ekiti election was violence-free, it was marred by allegations of vote buying. I don’t know why INEC allowed people to get away with vote buying right under the watch of its officials. Again, I don’t know how some persons were also in possession of voters’ cards that don’t belong to them. That also begs the question of how they managed to access it. These are inadequacies and lapses that must be corrected before the 2027 General Elections. I just hope they can also use this as an opportunity to test-run their capacity and level of preparedness for the next poll. Their conduct at the Ekiti governorship poll and by-elections in other states was also an indication of what may happen in 2027. As I said, I hope the noticeable lapses can be corrected to ensure we have a fair, free and credible election next year.”

Concurring with some points, Mr. Rufus Aiyenigba, the National Publicity Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), acknowledged better election logistics but simultaneously faulted INEC for eroding public trust in the electoral process.

Aiyenigba specifically stated: “On a general note, there was a remarkable improvement in logistics movement. But the rampant vote-buying was a dent in the integrity of the election. Also, the deliberate shutting out of the SDP, by way of not allowing for the uploading of the names of party agents for the election, rendered the election a nullity. Nigerian citizenry must rise up and resist the deliberate breach of the faith and trust of the people in our electoral processes and outcomes, occasioned by the unholy pact of administrators of our elections with anti-democratic agents. Nigeria cannot survive the shenanigans we are currently witnessing in our democratic journey.”

The Labour Party (LP), through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ken Asogwa, also expressed significant concerns regarding the by-election held in the Enugu North Senatorial District, describing its outcome as a mix of commendable aspects and considerable failures.

Asogwa elaborated, saying: “The election presented a mixed record of commendable performance and significant oversights on the part of the Independent National Electoral Commission. In Enugu North Senatorial District, where I participated and monitored the exercise, INEC deserves credit for ensuring the orderly conduct of the poll. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System also performed satisfactorily in accrediting voters. However, the experience was markedly different for the Labour Party. The party’s name was omitted from the ballot paper, a serious oversight with far-reaching implications. Such an omission risks the outright cancellation of the entire poll in the district, as it effectively disenfranchised a substantial number of our supporters.”

These complaints from the opposition mirrored similar objections raised concerning other by-elections that took place nationwide on Saturday.

For instance, in the Nasarawa North Senatorial District, Mr. Labaran Maku, the Labour Party candidate and former Minister of Information, publicly rejected the results of the election, which saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Danladi Envulu-anza, declared winner. Maku labeled the entire process a “sham,” citing extensive irregularities such as failures of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), ballot manipulation, and undue influence from government officials. He subsequently demanded that INEC annul the election and organize a new one.

Similarly, in Rivers State, candidates from both the Labour Party and Action Alliance repudiated the outcome of the Rivers South-East Senatorial District by-election, where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Olaka Nwogu, emerged victorious. These candidates pointed to various issues, including logistical failures, instances of vote-buying, and result manipulation, further threatening to initiate legal proceedings against INEC and other participants in the election.