BY Pelumi Bolawa
Thabo Mbeki, a former president of South Africa, says that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must address all the challenges observed in the conduct of the presidential election.
Speaking at the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Mbeki said inadequate materials and lateness have led to agitations in some polling centres.
He said INEC must “correct things that must be corrected”, making a reference to what he observed at the polling units that he visited on Saturday in Abuja.
“The first polling station we got to, we got there before 8:30 to be on time for when the voting starts. The INEC officials only just arrived at 8:30 and then it took an hour before anybody voted,” Mbeki said.
“As part of the process, the principal returning officers addressed the voters there basically to convey the information that is conveyed as you do voters education.
“So as he was educating the voters, agitation started, because he does not have a mic; and he is not a rabble-rouser like me. So the people kept yelling we can’t hear what are you saying… And so you get in a situation that can be a bit unstable.
“By the time we got to the second voting unit, this was around 10 am. We arrived at the same time as the INEC people are arriving.
“So we decided that we should go to the third one. And they just arrived at 11:15 am. Only two people had voted. And part of what was worrying them was that the official was to release the ballot paper and sign but the ink had dried up, so they had to pour methylated spirit just to wet it.
“And as they were standing there, another official came to fetch the same bottle of methylated spirit but complained that the paint in the polling boot was running out of ink.
“So the police officer that was standing behind me said, actually instinctively, that it’s too early for the ink to dry. I think it’s a problem. The point we are making is that where we went everybody arrived late, and then before they set out everything, it takes a lot of time.
Mbeki added that the electoral officials at the polling units pleaded with the people over the delay.
“Fortunately, in the first polling station, people are very cooperative, in the last one, there were quite some agitations, and it was not very good. But again that arises from the problem of lateness. But the principal officer say to the voters, ‘we apologize for being late but it’s not our fault, it is because apparently, the transport that was to bring them came in late,” he said.
“In a sense, there were teething problems. I have to say to you convener that INEC needs to correct the things that need to be corrected. Otherwise, the people in the polling station were quite patient. I think INEC can correct some of these things. They are small things. That is why I said that the voters themselves seem to be in a good mood. Thanks a lot.”
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