Protocols

Introduction

Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives us great pleasure to welcome you to the YIAGA AFRICA Watching The Vote (WTV) Evening Statement on the Process of the 2018 governorship election in Ekiti. This press briefing is the third in a series of press conferences to be hosted by YIAGA AFRICA WTV during the 2018 Ekiti governorship election. Although YIAGA AFRICA has received data from 245 of 250 sampled polling units and currently has a stable estimated range for the election outcome, it is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the mandate to announce results. YIAGA AFRICA will follow up with a fourth press briefing IMMEDIATELY after INEC announces the official results of the Ekiti gubernatorial election to issue its verification statement on whether the official results reflect the ballots cast at polling units.

The WTV project is “Driven by Data – For All Nigerians – Beholden to None!” WTV employed the parallel vote tabulation (PVT) methodology on Election Day – the gold standard for citizen observation. WTV deployed 500 stationary observers in pairs to a representative statistical sample of 250 polling units and 25 mobile observers located in all 16 local government areas (LGAs) of Ekiti state. WTV also deployed 16 collation centre observers to each of the LGA Collation Centres. This deployment strategy enabled YIAGA AFRICA to provide timely and accurate information on the conduct of accreditation, voting, and counting as well as to independently verify the official results for the Ekiti gubernatorial election as announced by INEC. The preliminary report on the conduct of accreditation, voting, and counting is based on reports from 245 of 250 (98%) sampled polling units. YIAGA AFRICA continues to receive reports from its observers on ground and will include this data in its final report.

YIAGA AFRICA undertook #WatchingTheVote to provide the public, governorship candidates, political parties, and INEC with independent information about whether the official results for the Ekiti gubernatorial election truly reflect the ballots cast at polling units. If the announced results reflect the ballots cast at polling units then we will confirm the outcome. If the announced results have been manipulated and do not match the results posted at polling units then YIAGA AFRICA will expose it.

Preliminary Election Day Findings

YIAGA AFRICA’s #WatchingTheVote observers witnessed accreditation, voting, and counting at polling units in all 16 LGAs. Set-up findings were provided in a press release earlier in the day. As of this time, YIAGA AFRICA’s preliminary findings are based on reports from 245 of 250 sampled polling units.

Accreditation and Voting

• At 88% of polling units the card reader functioned throughout the day.
• At 98% of polling units every potential voter’s permanent voter card (PVC) was checked by the card reader. At 92% of polling units every potential voter’s PVC was checked against the register of voters. At 100% of polling units no one was accredited to vote who did not have a PVC.
• At 94% of polling units every potential voter’s fingerprints were checked by the card reader.
• 84% of polling units were set up so no one could see how the voters marked their ballot papers. However, at 16% of polling units it was possible to see how a voter’s ballot paper was marked when it was put in the ballot box.
• At 100% of polling units indelible ink was applied to the cuticle of a finger of every accredited voter.
• During accreditation and voting, at 6% of polling units voters crowded the polling officials and at 9% of polling stations there were incidents of intimidation, harassment or violence.
• 27% of polling units completed accreditation and voting by the designated time of 2:00pm while by 3:00pm 83% of polling units had completed accreditation and voting.
• At 1% of polling units ballots/ballot boxes were snatched of stuffed during accreditation and voting.
• At 26% of polling units voters in the queue were not allowed to vote when accreditation and voting ended at 2:00pm.

Counting

• At 98% of polling units polling officials showed how every ballot paper was marked to everyone present.
• At 14% of polling units an ADP polling agent signed the official results form (EC.8A).
• At 98% of polling units an APC polling agent signed the official results form (EC.8A).
• At 97% of polling units a PDP polling agent signed the official results form (EC.8A).
• At 17% of polling units polling official recounted the ballot papers.
• At 94% of polling units the official results were posted for the public to see.
• At 78% of polling units, presiding officers used the Smart Card Reader to transmit results from the polling units.
• In 72% of polling units, presiding officers reported that the transmission was successful.

Turnout

YIAGA AFRICA’s preliminary estimates indicate that turnout for the Ekiti gubernatorial election will be between 42% and 48% based on official turnout figures collected from the PVT’s representative statistical sample of polling units across the 16 LGAs in the state. If INEC’s official turnout falls within WTV’s estimated range then it accurately reflects the ballots cast at polling units.

Results

Although YIAGA AFRICA currently has a stable estimated range for the election outcome, it is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the mandate to announce results. However, based on currently received observer reports, YIAGA AFRICA’s PVT shows that no candidate will receive more than 56% of the vote share.

Conclusion

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, it is important to remember that the Ekiti gubernatorial election is not yet over and that this report reflects YIAGA AFRICA’s preliminary findings on the conduct of accreditation, voting, and counting. INEC is still in the process of tallying results and has not yet announced the outcome of the election. YIAGA AFRICA will continue to observe the entire process and will issue additional statements as appropriate. YIAGA AFRICA calls on all contesting political parties and candidates to allow INEC to finish its work without interference and to urge their supporters to remain calm. Further, YIAGA AFRICA calls on the people of Ekiti to be peaceful and reject any calls for violence as INEC tallies the result for the gubernatorial election. YIAGA AFRICA will also issue a comprehensive report after the election has concluded that contains our final findings and recommendations.

YIAGA AFRICA would like to thank the many Nigerians across the state who volunteered to serve as non-partisan election observers on behalf of all the people of Ekiti. YIAGA AFRICA commends the dedication of the permanent INEC staff in Abuja and Ekiti state who organized the election; the commitment of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who served as poll officials, and the professionalism of the security agents who worked to keep the peace on Election Day. YIAGA AFRICA also appreciates the collaboration of our development partners and their commitment to Nigerian initiatives to ensure credible elections in our country.

YIAGA AFRICA, through the #WatchingTheVote initiative, is committed promoting more credible elections by providing independent information on the conduct of elections and independently verifying the accuracy of election results. #WatchingTheVote is For All Nigerians, Beholden to No One, and Driven By Data.

Long live Ekiti state, long live Nigeria. Thank you.

— End —

Hussaini Abdu PhD                                              Samson Itodo
Chair,                                                                       Executive Director
YIAGA AFRICA WTV Working Group                    YIAGA AFRICA

 

For media inquiries please contact:
Moshood Isah: Tel. +234 (0) 703 666 9339
Email: misah@YIAGA AFRICA.org

Learn more about #WatchingTheVote at www.watchingthevote.org or on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/YIAGA AFRICA.org or on Twitter @YIAGA AFRICA.

 

APPENDIX 1

Distribution of All Polling Units and PVT Sampled Polling Units for 2018 Ekiti Gubernatorial Election
S/N	LGA	Registered Voters	Polling Units	Percent of Total Polling Units	Sampled Polling Units	Percent of Total Sampled Polling Units	Observers
1	ADO EKITI	168,534	207	9.4%	24	9.6%	48
2	EFON	27,282	119	5.4%	13	5.2%	26
3	EKITI EAST	56,682	95	4.3%	11	4.4%	22
4	EKITI SOUTH WEST	50,652	188	8.6%	22	8.8%	44
5	EKITI WEST	54,257	184	8.4%	21	8.4%	42
6	EMURE	34,130	93	4.2%	10	4.0%	20
7	GBONYIN	49,953	103	4.7%	12	4.8%	24
8	IDO / OSI	53,077	139	6.3%	16	6.4%	32
9	IJERO	59,300	138	6.3%	16	6.4%	32
10	IKERE	61,867	86	3.9%	10	4.0%	20
11	IKOLE	63,614	182	8.3%	21	8.4%	42
12	ILEJEMEJE	15,944	91	4.1%	10	4.0%	20
13	IREPODUN / IFELODU	66,513	160	7.3%	18	7.2%	36
14	ISE / ORUN	42,474	108	4.9%	12	4.8%	24
15	MOBA	48,628	112	5.1%	13	5.2%	26
16	OYE	60,427	190	8.7%	21	8.4%	42
	TOTAL	913,334	2,195	100.0%	250	100.0%	500