The Kimpact Development Initiative, KDI has raised concerns over reports of violence against women witnessed in the March18 gubernatorial and state house of assembly elections.
The report released by KDI’s Election Data Room, EDR states that 12% of 123 victims of violence recorded are women who were intimidated and harassed while it confirmed 67 cases of violence, with 31.3% of these from Lagos and Southern Nigeria experienced 64.2% of these violent-cases.
KDI uses data-driven advocacy and bilateral engagements with election stakeholders, party leaders, socio-cultural leaders, security forces, and other civil society organisations to mitigate electoral violence.
Executive Director, Kimpact Development Initiative, Bukola Idowu, said the report was largely of intimidation, harassment, ballot box snatching.”This still points attention to the fact that more needs to be done in the south to mitigate violence.”
“voting disrupted in polling units observed, KDI EDR recorded ballot box snatching in PUs — a few of which are PU Kmaa Gabas 15 in Kiyawa Ward in Jigawa, PU 4, Amodu Ward in Enugu State and Ward 3 in Bayelsa.”
He noted that low turnout in a large number of polling units was observed. Largely in Lagos and other parts of the country. However, we must talk about the low turnout largely reported in some northern parts of the country like Kano. We cannot disassociate this from the spate of violence that has dominated the electoral and political landscape before the elections.
Earlier, Board Member, Ene Edeh said that ” We observed an obvious improvement in the arrival of ad-hoc staff in the State compared to the February 25″ President and NASS Elections 77% of the report from the field shows that election ad-hoc staff arrived at the polling unit before 7:30 am.
Also that KDI Data Room confirms as at 11: 45 two results uploads were seen on the INEC’s IReV portal and Incomplete result in PU 029, Ward 07 in Port Harcourt LGA and a headshot of an individual in PU 068, Ojugbe, ABULOMA-amadi Ama Ward in Port Harcourt ” dWe see this as either a sign of a breach in the infrastructure behind incompetence on the part of ad-hoc officials.
“Reports from the field show that only 56% of the Polling unit where our observers monitored accreditation and voting did not Start at 8:30 am the official time. Notably, 43% of these polling units where A&V did not start early, commenced between 8:45 am and 9-39 am,” She said.
