Adebayo Adenrele
Civil society organisations under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Election Observation Hub, comprising the Kukah Centre, TAF Africa, the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Yiaga Africa, the International Press Centre (IPC), and the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), have raised concerns over allegations of voter inducement, political intimidation and the spread of misinformation ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.
The groups warned that the emerging trends could undermine the credibility of the electoral process if not urgently addressed by relevant authorities.
In a statement read respectively by their representatives in Ado-Ekiti, Samson Itodo, of YIAGA Africa, Barrister Asabe Ndahi of Kukah Centre, Akin Akingbulu of CEMESO, Lanre Arogundade of IPC, Brenda Anugwom of NWTF and George Dominic Anwayi of TAF Africa alleged the use of money, food items and other materials to influence voters, as well as an organised vote-buying scheme, involving the use of pre-credited bank accounts to harvest voters’ Permanent Voter Card (PVC) details and National Identification Number (NIN) in exchange for votes.
The groups said the alleged scheme has been reported in Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ikole, Ikere, Ekiti East and Ekiti West Local Government Areas, noting that the development raises serious concerns about the misuse of personal data for voter manipulation.
The Election Observation Hub further expressed worry over reports of political intimidation and violence in some parts of the state.
It noted that there have been allegations involving the use of political thugs and the disruption of campaign activities in Ado Ekiti, Ikole and Oye Local Government Areas, warning that such incidents could erode voter confidence and public trust in the democratic process.
The organisations also raised concerns over alleged cases of police detention of political opponents without recourse to the judiciary through the use of Form K, urging law enforcement agencies to operate strictly within the confines of the law.
The pre-election statement read in part, “The menace of voter inducement remains a significant threat to the credibility of elections.
“There are reports of the use of money, food items and other materials to influence voters and an organised vote-buying scheme, involving the use of pre-credited bank accounts for harvesting details of Permanent Voter Card (PVC) and National Identification Number (NIN) in exchange for their votes, in Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ikole, Ikere, Ekiti East and Ekiti West LGAs, raising concerns about misuse of personal data for voter manipulation.
“In addition, there are reported cases of political intimidation involving the use of political thugs and disruptions of campaign activities in Ado Ekiti, Ikole and Oye LGAS, which undermine voter confidence and public trust in the electoral process.
“Furthermore, there are reported cases of alleged police detention of political opponents without recourse to the judiciary, through the use of FORM K.
“The pre-election information environment is increasingly plagued by misinformation, disinformation and inflammatory political communication, particularly across digital platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok and X (Twitter).
“These include the unverified claims circulating within the public space of plans by a political party to use cloned Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in obtaining a pre-determined number of votes, generating confusion and increasing political tension”.
