THE 25TH JANUARY, 2020 BYE-ELELCTION IN GAMAWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

 

THE 25TH JANUARY, 2020 BYE-ELELCTION  IN GAMAWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF  BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

REPORT

 

OF

 

THE 25^TH JANUARY, 2020 BYE-ELELCTION

IN GAMAWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF

BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

 

PRESENTED BY

 

NIGERIAN PROGRESSIVE WOMEN AND YOUTH

DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

No. 19 Lugbe Federal Housingstate,

Opp. Mountain of Fire, Abuja.

LIST OF POLLING UNIT VISITED

As our custom, we hereby present the report of the January 25^th, 2020 bye election in Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State as observed by ourteam.

The group’s first point of call was Primary School 01 in Odubo Yama ward (005). The polling unit four hundred and ninety (490) number of registered voters. Also at Obubo West Primary School (Sangaya 1) (003), the total number of Registered Voters is five hundred and two (502). We observed that at the time of arrival at 9.30am, accreditation and voting was already ongoing simultaneously.

Odubo Unit 001 has nine hundred and ninety five (995) numbers of accredited voters, at Polling Unit in Udubo Yama 006; the number of registered voters are five hundred and eight (508).

We also visited Polling Unit 014 in Ungwar S. Hausawa 1, ward 01 the number of registered voter is six hundred and thirty six (636), in Angwar Abdul Bature Central Primary School 2, registered voters was six hundred and fifteen (615)

The group took their journey to Angwar Abdul Bature Central Primary School 1 (Unit Code 005), the number registered voters were one thousand fifty three (1053), at Polling Unit 009, Ungwar Mamadu Primary School 2, and the number of registered voters was eight hundred and forty seven.

OBSERVATIONS

The group observed that in some Polling Units visited, accreditation and voting was ongoing simultaneously. The Card Reader was also working perfectly without any hitches.

However, at Unit 006 Gari Dole in Gololo ward, at about 1.30pm voting had been forcefully stopped due to some hitches at the Polling Unit.

Also at Unit 009, Ungwar Mamadu Primary School 2, there was a very low turnout of voters. According to some eyewitnesses, the electorates were insisting that they must be given money before casting their votes. It was also gathered that efforts at sensitization by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ad hoc staff proved abortive before the expiration of voting period.

COMMENTS

The election process was conducted under a generally peaceful atmosphere and there was a good turnout of voters in some of the Polling Unit. The group however, was not happy with the security arrangement as some units have little presence of security personnel. This, according to some officers we interacted with, was due to improper logistics arrangement.

COMMENDATION

The group commends INEC for early distribution of materials, this was believed to have contributed immensely to the early start of accreditation and voting in all the polling units visited.

Worthy of commendation is the turnout of voters in most of the units; there was an impressive turnout of the electorates to exercise their civic responsibility.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The group recommends that vote buying and selling should be discouraged in its entirety.

INEC has done well in the security arrangement but there is need for improvement. Early distribution of materials to interior places should be facilitated as this will enable early commencement of voting.

CONCLUSION

We appreciate God for his guidance and preservation during the exercise. We also thank INEC for the opportunity to serve in our own little way.

The group will continue to appreciate your support and co-operation. Adequate collaboration with relevant stakeholders will go a long way in contributing to the success of any electoral process.

Thanks and God bless Nigeria!

 

AS SUBMITTED BY:

MRS. BLESSING JAMES

NIGERIAN PROGRESSIVE WOMEN AND

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE.