Richmond C. Amadi is an independent journalist, Book Publisher, member of RSU Alumni, Researcher (currently researching with Researchgate.net), Writer, Motivational Speaker. He is a BSc Holder in Office and Information Management, and Diploma holder in Management all from Rivers State University. Currently doing his MSc with RSU. Contact him on Richmond.amadi@ust.edu.ng or Amadirichmondc@gmail.com All Social Platforms: @amadirichmondc
CDD pointed out 5 challenges recorded in the collation of elections results which includes:
Deliberate denial of access to observers and media
INEC missteps and misconduct;
Logistical shortfalls
Intentional disruption by politicians,
Political thugs and party agents
Intimidation of collation staff by security agents.
A new report has emerged with analysis on the 2019 general elections has documented how the collation process of the election results by INEC was opaque, chaotic, vulnerable to manipulation and, in some locations, violently disrupted.
The Centre for Democracy and Development(CDD), published the report on July 2019 but made public both in graphic, on Thursday revealed that 5 states including Rivers, Lagos, Osun, Sokoto, and Kaduna recorded experienced significant problems with the ward level collation.
The report, according to CDD, was arrived to following data from its obsevers deployed across states of Nigeria during the 2019 general elections.
CDD pointed out 5 challenges recorded in the collation of elections results which includes:
CDD warned that failure to resolve the challenges which attended the collation of results at the ward centres as observed, would encourage election spoilers, undermine the credibility of election results and weaken public trust in INEC
It said the five states accounted for 46 per cent of incidents of concern, noting that the situation was especially bad in Rivers State, where clashes between political thugs and security personnel, “reflecting de facto proxy battles between top politicians in the state,” disrupted several collation centres.
“Surprisingly, the three states most affected by the Boko Haram insurgency — Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe — were not among the states with very high level of reported collation challenges,” the report observed.
“Kano, Katsina and Plateau — each of which saw voter turnout in excess of one million — also did not record a high rate of collation incidents.”
