……Raises Concern over Impending Voters Apathy.
Ahead of this Saturday’s Governorship Election in Ondo State, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) has deployed 90 trained and accredited observers across all 18 local government areas and 14 ‘soldiers of mouth’.
Prof. Adele Jinadu, Chairman, CDD Election Analysis Centre and Dr. Dauda Garuba, Director, CDD-West Africa, disclosed this on Friday in Akure during the CDD Election Analysis Centre (CDD’s EAC) Pre-Election Press Conference on the 2024 Ondo State Governorship Election.
According to the CDD, “we have deployed 90 trained and accredited observers across all 18 local government areas, with our methodology targeting polling units with high volumes and prior history of election-related issues.
“We have also deployed 14 ‘soldiers of mouth’, who will help in addressing information disorder incideJnts, corroborate fact-checks and help us monitor the ways that parties, politicians and even members of the public engage in disinformation.
“Our EAC has been constituted here in Akure, with CDD staff ably represented and led by the director, Dr Dauda Garuba, and with our analysts, led once more by Professor Adele Jinadu. This is to ensure that our reports, analyses and feedback on the conduct of the election is as thorough and exhaustive as it has always been.
“CDD-West Africa will effectively monitor the Ondo election, closely observing the pre-election atmosphere as well as Election Day activities to evaluate adherence to national and international standards. Through impartial, timely reporting, CDD-West Africa aims to promote transparency and support an election outcome that genuinely reflects the will of the people.
“As the election takes place tomorrow, CDD’s EAC notes some of the major issues that will shape the election and shares its worry that a possible outcome is low voter turnout and increased voter apathy. We hope that INEC’s voter sensitisation efforts, the different campaigns and the increased focus on the state will encourage citizens to come out and vote.
“We praise INEC’s conformity to its pre-determined schedule of events, and the release of necessary data and information prior to the election. Activities like this invite trust and optimism in the process. We call on INEC to ensure that this practice is maintained during the election and post-election phases.
“The absence of proper communication leaves room for unfettered misinformation, which has the capacity to cause untold disruption and mar analyses of the polls.
“Our overarching concern is that all of these factors will converge and affect how citizens engage with the elections. We have noted that turnout continues to go down in Nigerian elections.
“While most governorship elections, especially off-cycle, outpace presidential elections in voter turnout, Ondo State appears to have established a strong correlation.
“Voter apathy is dangerous for any democracy. It leads to a lack of accountability, increased disillusionment and can allow resentment and insecurity to fester. It also means that leaders are not aware of the type of mandate they have to carry out wide-reaching reforms. Efforts must be carried out to reverse the growing trend of citizens not wanting to engage with the democratic process.
“The general security atmosphere leading to the election in Ondo State has been relatively peaceful, and that is attributed to the uncompetitive nature of the elections. Nevertheless, historical data on the general security trends and times of election cannot be ignored.
“As Nigerians in Ondo State go to the polls tomorrow, we urge all institutions connected to the electoral process, such as INEC and security agencies, to ensure that they are impartial and conduct a free, fair and credible process.
“To ensure disinformation, information manipulation, and all forms of computational propaganda do not undermine the participation of historically marginalised groups, CDD-EAC calls on fact-checking organisations to strengthen collaboration to achieve better results in countering disinformation. We have carried out extensive fact checks, under a project that has been well supported through the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
“To combat gendered disinformation and its debilitating effects on the participation of women, the CDD-EAC calls for initiatives, which directly counter misogynistic narratives targeting women in politics. This can include social media campaigns, public service announcements, and fact-checking reports that emphasise the contributions of women in leadership.
“The CDD-EAC also urges the implementation of voter education programs that challenge patriarchal norms, empower women in politics, and ensure that both men and women are protected from gendered disinformation.
“The CDD-EAC also calls on all institutions – INEC, Police, EFCC, ICPC – to remain impartial and to carry out their duties diligently and patriotically. These services, though often thankless, remain important. We applaud the many ad-hoc staff, NYSC corp members and organisation personnel who are taking time out of their schedules to ensure that the process is hitch-free.
“CDD-EAC calls on all citizens of Ondo State to head to the polls with a firm belief that democracy will triumph, just as it urges all political actors to eschew divisive and inciting tendencies capable of undermining peace before, during and after the election. CDD-EAC will continue to monitor engagements and provide as much support as needed to contribute to peaceful elections in Nigeria.”
