By Abbas Jimoh
As the nation holds by-elections in 12 states of the federation, the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) has expressed mixed feeling over the low voter turn-out of the elections and the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Executive Director of the KDI, Mr Bukola Idowu, at a media briefing to present the preliminary statement on the conduct of the election, on Saturday in Abuja, said that the low voters’ turnout was a concern, especially that there were series of agitations to get the elections conducted.
He said that apart from low voters’ turnout, the rampant vote trading and pockets of violence recorded during the elections are causes for concerns.
“KDI’s observation so far indicates that voter turnout has been generally low across the polling units monitored. This trend raises concerns about citizen participation in the electoral process and emphasises the need for sustained voter engagement and confidence-building measures to strengthen democratic participation,” Idowu said.
He noted that elections were conducted by INEC across 12 states of Adamawa, Edo, Kaduna, Ogun, Oyo, Jigawa, Kano, Anambra, Kogi, Taraba, Niger, and Zamfara, and re-run elections in Enugu and Kano based on court orders.
“These bye-elections are being held to fill vacant seats in two senatorial districts, five federal constituencies, and nine State Houses of Assembly and are taking place in 32 local government areas, 356 wards, and 6,987 polling units (PUs).
He said that the by-elections being held under INEC’s established guidelines, which require that only individuals with a valid Permanent Voter Card (PVC) can vote, and only at their registered PUs, also has approximately 3,553,659 registered voters across the 13 states eligible to participate in the elections.
He said that real-time information obtained from 364 trained observers deployed to the field to monitor the elections under the Nigeria Election Violence Report (NEVR) Project for the 2025 bye-elections with the support of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), also recorded some positive indicators on the conduct of security agencies.
“KDI notes that security agencies largely conducted themselves with professionalism during the ongoing bye-election. Except for the incident recorded in Kogi State, there were no reports of interference in the electoral process. We commend the security personnel for their efforts in maintaining order and ensuring a generally peaceful atmosphere at most polling units observed,” Idowu said.
On vote’s trading, Idowu said that KDI’s observers recorded widespread instances of vote trading across many of the PUs visited.
He said, “The inducements offered to voters ranged from cash payments (from N4000 upwards) to material items, including food and snacks. There was also the verified report of a vote trader who was arrested with over 25-million-naira cash in Kaduna State.
“This practice undermines the integrity of the electoral process, as it compromises the ability of citizens to freely exercise their franchise and make independent choices. When votes are commodified, the outcome of the election ceases to reflect the genuine will of the people and instead becomes a product of financial or material influence.”
On the conduct of INEC, the KDI boss said that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) functionality was encouraging as it functioned effectively in the majority of PUs observed, and commended INEC for this improvement in the electoral process.
He said, “Only a negligible number of PUs reported minor malfunctions, mostly linked to network challenges. In most of these cases, the issues were quickly resolved, allowing the process to continue.”
He also said that while the impact of these glitches was limited, it is important to note that even isolated delays can inconvenience voters and, if not promptly addressed, may create tension at polling units.
He urged INEC to continue strengthening technical support and rapid response mechanisms to sustain voter confidence in the system.
On the commencement of polls and conduct of INEC officials, Idowu said that 74.5% of the report from the KDI’s field observation noted that the commencement of polls was significantly delayed, primarily due to the late arrival of INEC officials.
He said that their observation found that only a handful of PUs were open between 8:30am and 8:45am, while the majority commenced between 8:45am and 10:00am, a delay that raised concerns that voting may extend beyond the scheduled period, particularly in PUs with high voter turnout.
Idowu said, “As of 10:35am, elections had yet to begin in several areas. Notably, in Kujama and Nasarawa registration areas of Kaduna State, the election commenced late due to the late arrival of election officials and a late setup.
“Also, in Kano State, the presence of the Yan-Banga group, armed with dane guns and sticks, patrolling in the street created an atmosphere of fear, discouraging both electoral officials and voters from participating. Similarly, in Edo State, Ovia North East LGA, at Ogheghe PUs 12 and 19, officials arrived but failed to set up and eventually left without explanation, resulting in no elections being held in those locations till the time of this statement.”
Speaking on incidences of violence, the KDI boss said that their observers identified seven incidences of electoral violence in Kogi, Anambra and Enugu states: five in Kogi State and one each in Enugu and Anambra states.
He said, “In Kogi State for example, there were serious disruptions and records of intimidation at the Registration Area Centre (RAC) for Okura State Constituency, located at Our Lady of School in Ayingba.
“Security agents, together with political thugs reportedly affiliated with a political party (APC), cordoned off the RAC, preventing the deployment of election materials and ad hoc staff. Sporadic gunshots were observed around the facility, and party agents attempting to access the centre were violently assaulted.
“In one case, the agent of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) was beaten so severely that he required hospitalisation.
There are also credible reports of ballot box stuffing which took place within the RAC. As a result, voting has been effectively stalled across the four wards of the constituency.
“Also, in Anambra, there were credible reports of the relocation of PUs from wards Iseke, Lili, Mbosi, Ubuluisiuzer, Azia and Osimoru to Ihiala LGA secretarial. The Enugu State narrative is not far from the aforementioned, reports indicate that a party agent of the APC was attacked at Enugu South Urban, Ward 5, Polling Unit 8.
Additionally, in Sharuruwa, Shanono Local Government Area of Kaduna State, there are disturbing reports of voter suppression, intimidation, and harassment.
“The Yan-Banga group, armed with dane guns and sticks, continues to roam the streets, creating fear among both voters and election officials, and obstructing the conduct of the polls.”
