The National Election Watch (NEW) in their preliminary statement reveals that a total of 83% from 457 stations of voters turned out for voting across the country, on polling day nationwide.
According to the statement read by NEW Chairman Ken Ganna-Conteh, it states that the turnout of women participants was also encouraging, indicating that the data available from 747 polling stations shows that 56% that is an average of 131 women voting at each station.
Voters with disability, they said, was low, as it were estimated at 2.2% of the voting population in 739 stations with an average of 5 voters per polling station.
The counting process Ganna-Conteh stated “was quite smooth, with data from 346 stations available, there was an average of almost 2 security staff and 4 political party agents at each station to monitor the process.
Observers he said reported that there were also 334 stations in 97% of cases that the counting process was orderly and that in 99% of cases it was open and all party agents and observers were able to observe the procedures, “In 78% cases from 318 polling stations, there was consensus among party agents on the void votes. Out of 339 polling stations reporting, in 86% all party agents present signed the final vote counts.”
however, NEC stated that in over thousand polling stations reporting, the majority signaled that voter confirmation procedures had been followed that campaign was largely absent from polling station areas and that there were certain irregularities in particular insufficient ballot papers.
a concern was also raised by NEW that observers reported that only 66% out 620 stations allowed voters who were waiting in line at closing time, 5PM to vote, this they said constitutes a “serious breach of fundamental voter rights, as electoral law provides for them to be allowed to cast their vote so long as they are in the queue at the polling station by closing time.”
Despite certain constrained by NEC which includes logistical, but they showed neutrality in its conduct of the electoral process. NEW also commends the positive attitude of the citizens, which was reflected in the high turnout and peaceful conditions observed.
Currently they said “there is not enough results data available to comment on the results and the tallying process in ongoing, 9493 stations in total are to provide their vote counts to produce the final result.”
By Betty Milton
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