Background In the wake of the unprecedented outbreak and global spread of the Coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic, and its multiplier effects on virtually all spheres of human endeavor, governments around the world are forced to take decisive- and sometimes drastic- actions. The containment measures are multidimensional, namely the closure of national borders, suspension of international...
A lot of issues have been attributed to the increasing decline in voter turnout which has continue to diminish the quality of Nigeria’s election. The 2019 Presidential elections witnessed lower turnout with only 32percent of registered voters coming out to vote and the situation was even worse for other state and off-cycle elections. This poses...
With the incessant assault on voters right which has led to diminishing voter confidence in the electoral process and have affected turnout in the elections, it becomes imperative to mobilize public debate on voter suppression and its implications on our electoral process in Nigeria. In this vein, Yiaga Africa on Tuesday hosted key election stakeholders...
As Nigeria continues her experiment with democracy, the threats to democratic consolidation have become more insidious resulting in a sharp decline in electoral integrity. Key amongst these threats is the desperation of the political class to secure political power at all costs without recourse to electoral rules and guidelines. This is manifested in rancorous and...
Executive Summary Nigeria’s 20 years democracy was tested with the conduct of the 2019 general elections. The elections presented an opportunity for Nigeria to consolidate on the gains of the 2015 elections and deepen her democratic transition. Although INEC introduced reforms to deepen electoral integrity and citizens participation, the elections were characterized by many of...
The deregistration of not less than 74 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission may not have gone down well with some stakeholders especially those political parties that fell by the side in what can be described as massive retrenchment of political parties but overall it seems to be an action in the right...
On November 30, 2019, YIAGA AFRICA observed the Kogi West supplementary election in 53 polling units in 7 Local Government Areas (LGAs) where elections were cancelled or not concluded due to violence and disruption (Ijumu, Kabba/Bunu, Lokoja, Koton Karfe, Mopa Moro, Yagba East and Yagba West). YIAGA AFRICA Watching The Vote (WTV) deployed a total...
It is neither coincidence nor conspiracy that negative reviews have trailed the just concluded Governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states. It is also no fluke that election observers like YIAGA AFRICA, Situation Room, and Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) are speaking in one voice, condemning the complicity in the conduct of the Governorship election...
This statement on the conduct of the elections is based on WTV observation of the processes of accreditation, voting, and the counting and posting of results. This statement represents a culmination of our findings from the pre-election environment through election day and highlights critical incidents observed that have the potential of undermining the credibility of...
#WatchingTheVote is a citizen led election observation initiative aimed at enhancing the integrity of elections in Nigeria using technological tools like sms and evidence-based research methodology tools for election observation.
