International Observer Dr. Nwambu Declares Rivers Council Polls Free and Fair
Port Harcourt (Core Reporters) As Nigeria keep improving in its electoral process, international observers in the just concluded Rivers State Council Polls have declared the process as free and fair.
Dr Gabriel Nwambu, was the head of mission to the Rivers State Local Government polls observation and has said emphatically that the polls was above board as it was peaceful
Recall that there was adequate security beef up before the polls and during the Local Government polls in a professional manner without molestation.
Dr Nwambu further stressed that: ” As the head of mission for election observation here in Rivers State, my centre has deployed about 330 observers across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State.
“And we had a pre-election observation and analysis which we have conducted where we made a needs analysis of what has transpired. And we noticed in the pre-election there was no election-related violence.
“There was no acrimony. People were campaigning strictly on issues base and personalities were not being attacked, unlike the conventional elections in the past.
” And what happened on Saturday is that elections started at a good time, although it is not in all the polling units that elections commence at 8:30am.
” There were pockets of areas where there were little delays, like elections commence around 9 o’clock and 9:30am, like the ward 7, and some areas in Elelewon, elections commence at about 9 o’clock, 8:45am and all that.
On the security situation, Nwambu observed that: “”So generally, the environment is peaceful. We’ve not observed any incidents of electoral-related violence. Security, the police, which is the lead agency in charge of internal security and democratic processes, such as this, is on top of the game. And I think so far, it is good.
“You see, the checkpoints are okay. It is manned by a joint task force made up of the several law enforcement agencies, including the military. It’s not difficult as usual. The joint task force is well briefed. They are well trained.
” They are strictly adhering to the rules of engagement. This is one of the best elections in terms of the performance index of the law enforcement agencies. They are not beating up anybody.
” They are not brutalising anybody. Unlike in the past, where you would introduce yourself as an election observer, they would pretend as if they were not even hearing you
” This time, they are even ready to assist you to cross and go your way, provided you conduct yourself in a peaceful manner. So, I think the security situation here in River State is excellent.
“And to show the level of compliance in terms of restriction of movement, we also observed young men playing football, playing soccer along the roads, showing that the roads were desolate, within intra city.
” So, we believe that the electorates are happy. They came out en masse to exercise their franchise, which they feel is long overdue. And elections should really take this pace for which this election is going.
“We would recommend this pattern of election for Nigeria any day, any time, because of the peaceful disposition of both the electorates, the peaceful disposition of the candidates themselves, and then the peaceful disposition of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, which so far has demonstrated capacity and competence in terms of the level of preparedness and dispensation of the electoral mandates.
“In all the observers we deployed to the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, there is no case of vote-buying observed anywhere. I mean, this is a pace setter. This is how an election should be. The environment is peaceful.
” The people are docile and behave themselves in line with the expected conduct of the electorate. Even the politicians are interested in issue-based, they are not interfering in the process of election.
