Onwuka Nzeshi 
…Says poll witnessed zero incidents of malpractices
A coalition of 30 Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations, who served as accredited election observers during the Local Government elections in Rivers State, have declared that the election was transparent, free, fair, and credible.
They also said that the poll, which was held in 8, 866 Polling Units and 319 electoral Wards, across the 23 Local Government Councils, was consistent with the extant laws of the country.
The declaration came at a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday during which the coalition presented its report covering the activities of its field observers in the Pre-Election, Election and post-election periods.
Director General, Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness (CCLCA), Dr Gabriel Nwambu who addressed journalists on the report, said the election was conducted under extraordinary circumstance, following the Supreme Court’s nullification of the previous election, and the order given to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to conduct a fresh poll amidst a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Nwambu disclosed that the coalition deployed a total of 830 observers across the state. He said that the observers deployed to the field were able to report their observations online in real time.
Giving highlights of the report, Nwambu noted that on the election day, the observers witnessed the early commencement of voting activities across most polling units, with presiding officers and other ad-hoc staff present at the polling units between 8:30 and 9.30 am.
“The accreditation and voting process started promptly and was orderly, a testament to the efficient training and planning by RSIEC. The reported voter apathy was unfounded. While turnout was initially slow in commercial areas, it increased significantly as the day progressed, reaching an impressive level by noon.
“A landmark observation was the complete absence of electoral malpractices. There was no thuggery, no ballot box snatching, and no vote buying. This is the first time to record these observations, at least in the recent past, in Nigeria.
“We commend the law enforcement agencies for their professionalism and adherence to the rule of engagement. They were friendly and non-intrusive, ensuring the security of the process without molesting voters or observers,” he said.
Nwambu explained that the outcome of the election, where the ruling party in the state ( PDP) secured three (3) chairmanship seats and the opposition APC won twenty (20), is a resounding testament to the transparency and fairness of the process.
“It is a powerful demonstration of democracy at its best. This result, uninfluenced by incumbency, speaks volumes about the credibility and integrity of the electoral process.
We also commend the electorates of Rivers State for their peaceful and law-abiding conduct.
In light of these observations mentioned, we have made a crucial recommendation: the exemplary approach adopted by the RSIEC in this election should be adopted as a national model for effective and credible electoral management in Nigeria,” Nwambu said.
