The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) says data from its Election Analysis Centre (EAC) shows that 97 per cent of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff arrived at polling units in Osun by 8:30 a.m.

Ayomola Oluranti, an analyst at CDD-EAC, disclosed this in Abuja in the centre’s first interim statement on the Osun governorship election on Saturday.

Ms Oluranti said data also showed that 79 per cent of INEC poll officers addressed voters before 8:30 a.m., the official time for poll opening.

She said the data also indicated that there were  critical election materials in at least 92 per cent of polling units.

“These are  ballot papers, Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, result sheets, ballot boxes and voter registers. They were available for the conduct of the election – a marked improvement over 83 per cent recorded in Ekiti.

“CDD-EAC notes that INEC took some steps to address some of the gaps identified in the Ekiti State governorship election last month.

“INEC has embedded officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the INEC situation room in Osogbo to help address issues around the deployment of personnel and movement of voting materials,” she said.

She added that there was a BVAS machine and compliance in 99 per cent of the polling units visited, with two polling units in Ife Central and Irepodun reporting absence of BVAS machines at 9:30 a.m.

The analyst, however, said that CDD-EAC observers reported cases of political party agents campaigning and canvassing for votes near polling units in 14 local government areas, which represented 9.6 per cent of the polling units observed.

Ms Oluranti said the acts, which contravened the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, were mostly reported by observers in Ife Central, Odo Otin, Osogbo, Oriade and Irepodun.

She stated that CDD-EAC observers noticed unremoved campaign posters at some polling units, just as political party agents openly canvassed for votes.

Ms Oluranti added that CDD-EAC fact-checkers spotted a claim that a candidate was asking voters to swear that they would vote for him before he would pay them.

“Our fact-checkers also noted that the image, which was circulated to make the claim, was taken at the point the candidate was casting his vote,” she said. 

(NAN)