The Nigerian Bar Association Election Working Group (NBA-EWG) has released its report on the Edo State governorship elections held on September 21, 2024, identifying logistical delays, low voter turnout, and incidents of attempted vote buying as key issues. Despite these challenges, the group commended the peaceful conduct of voters and security personnel.
Accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to observe the election, the NBA deployed representatives from its five branches in Edo State—Benin, Auchi, Igarra, Uromi, and Ekpoma—to monitor polling units across the state. The election culminated in the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, who secured 291,667 votes. He defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes, and Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata, who finished third with 22,763 votes.
In its report, the NBA-EWG noted significant delays in the delivery of election materials, particularly in parts of Benin City. “The late arrival of materials in some polling units significantly hindered the smooth commencement of voting,” stated team leader Mrs. Bolatumi Animashaun. However, in areas like Etsako West and Esan North East, voting commenced on time.
One notable incident occurred at Aunty Maria Nursery & Primary School in Egor LGA, where gunshots were fired after an altercation involving an APC politician. Security forces, including the Nigerian Police Force and Nigerian Army, intervened but maintained overall order throughout the process.
The report also highlighted concerns over low voter turnout, despite Edo State having over 2.6 million registered voters. “In some polling units, fewer than 10% of registered voters were accredited to vote,” Animashaun noted, citing examples such as Ward 4, Aduwawa LGA, where only 94 out of 1,100 registered voters participated.
The NBA-EWG further observed attempted vote buying, with party agents discreetly engaging voters in Ugbeku LGA. Despite these concerns, the group praised the professionalism of INEC officials and the functionality of the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in most polling units.
In its recommendations, the NBA-EWG called for improvements in the timely distribution of election materials and enhanced voter education campaigns to increase turnout and restore public confidence in the electoral process. The NBA General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, also emphasized the need for stricter measures to curb the role of money in elections, stating, “Curbing the role of money is critical to ensuring the integrity of our elections.”
