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Interim Press Statement on the Conduct of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections 25 February 2023 - Women Fund
The Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund (NWTF) is a gender focus NGO created to increase the representation of women in Nigerian governance at all levels and address the growing concerns about the gender imbalance in elective and appointive positions.
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Interim Press Statement on the Conduct of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections 25 February 2023

Interim Press Statement on the Conduct of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections 25 February 2023

Preamble:

The Gender and Election Watch, (GEW) Room, is an initiative of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), an organization founded to close the gender gaps in governance in Nigeria. GEW is an election observation platform from a gender perspective. The GEW observed the 2023 General Elections which started on Saturday, 25 February 2023 and continued into the early hours of 26 February 2023.

NWTF GEW deployed 400 accredited observers across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria in the states of Adamawa, Kogi, Kano, Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Anambra, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

NWTF GEW through the feedback from the observes as follows:

  1. Opening of polls: Early opening of polls was not recorded in most of the polling units where observation took place as only 3 percent of polling units were opened at 8:30am.
  2. Security Breaches: Our field observers reported pockets of security breaches and intimidation in the FCT, Kogi, Kano, Lagos, and Anambra.
  3. FCT – Garki Primary School 005 polling unit. Women were agitated and intimidated at the sight of armed police officers amongst voters
  4. Lagos – Surulere 081, 082 and 083 polling units. Unauthorized armed men disrupted the voting process and forcefully carted away the ballot boxes and papers.
  • Kano – Gabasawa 018 polling unit at 12:57pm, there was absence of security personnel, voting was disrupted as fighting broke out amongst voters. This led to women voters being scared away.
  1. Anambra – Uhrum PU 001, Poll officials were present but there was absence of security personnel as local vigilante groups were called in to intervene in the violence that erupted amongst the voters.
  2. Kogi – Igalamela Ugbatutugba, Ward 2, PU001, violence was recorded
  3. Commitment of women: Inspite of the low turnout of female voters and challenges experienced, women were determined and stayed on into the early hours of 26 February 2023 to cast their votes. Women were resilient despite heavy rainfall in some parts of FCT, Rivers, Anambra, and Lagos states.
  4. Priority voting: The elderly, pregnant women, nursing mothers and PWDs were allowed priority voting.
  5. Malfunction of election materials: There were reported cases of malfunctioning of election materials which were addressed but caused delays in the conduct of polls.

 

  1. Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS): In Doubeli Ward in Adamawa state, 02-20-01-001 polling unit, the polling staff had challenges with BVAS due to internet connectivity thus accreditation and voting started at about 9:55am.
  2. Ink pads for thumb printing: In some polling units the ink for thumb printing were dry, thereby causing delay in the voting process. For instance, in Abuja, Gwarinpa Ward 37-06-05-072 delay was reported.

GEW will continue to observe the situation and will issue statement based on findings.

GEW Hotlines:

07047004443

07047004449

Signed

Mufuliat Fijabi

Chief Executive Officer

For Gender and Election Watch (GEW) Room

of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF).

26 February 2023

 

 

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