NAN – The Coalition of Election Observers in Gombe state has described the 2015 general election as better than the 2011 polls.
Mr Victor Lema, Spokesman of the coalition, stated this in Gombe on Monday, April 13, 2015, while presenting the general report of the Civil Society Organisations.
“In 2011 election, there was violence where 11 persons were burnt to dead in one man’s house.
“At least not less than 30 lives were lost during the 2011 general election.
“But during the 2015 elections, there was great improvement which needed to be commended,” he said.
He said the coalition noted that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was able to do a lot of sensitisation which led to the success of the election.
He said observers noted that INEC materials were distributed a night before the Election Day while in some places they arrived on the election date.
Lema said card readers failed in some pooling units but the presiding officers adopted manual accreditation.
“Generally, the card readers functioned effectively, and security was perfect, people were well guided except the unfortunate incidents that happened in Nafada and Dukku local government areas where 17 persons lost their lives in attack by insurgents,” he said.
According to him, women came out en mass to vote in some areas where they overshadowed the men.
He said people living with disability were also given a special consideration at pooling units and the electorate conducted themselves peacefully.
The coalition suggested that INEC should improve on voter sensitisation, consider adequate training on the new material to be used by ad hoc staff, especially the issue of card readers.
“We observed that some of the ad-hoc staff do not know how to use it, they had to be put through,” he said.
He said special arrangement for logistics should be made for staff and ad hoc personnel for the movement of material to the polling centres.
The coalition also recommended that accreditation and voting should be conducted simultaneously in future election.
“This is because some accredited voters who left to return at 1 p.m. to vote never returned and it gave room for political manoeuvering.
“Security should also be strengthened to reduce the breakdown of law and order,” he said.
