The Pan African Women Election observer group in Abia State has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to engage more women of proven integrity in its further Elections.
Addressing journalists in Umuahia the Abia State capital, the spokesperson of the Observer group, BONTLE MATJILA commended the doggedness and resilience of the State returning officer in ensuring that the people’s votes counted.
In its Interim report, the group also recommended that INEC should stop using Corps Members for further Elections as they are easily compromised but think on how to use clergymen for the integrity of the process.
The group, a non-governmental organisation of women from 54 countries, commended Prof Oti for ensuring that the mandates and votes of the people counted in the last guber polls in Abia State while also recommending her, and other women of integrity, for future electoral duties as Returning Officer.
Ms Bontela Matjila, spokesperson for Pan African Women Projects, stated in a press statement, as confirmed by Dr Mrs Eno Udensi, that the findings from the governorship and House of Assembly elections they monitored in Abia State met “international commendations of a free, transparent, and peaceful electoral process.”
The group, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, served as one of INEC’s accredited foreign observer missions.
It did, however, express dissatisfaction with allegations of “serious vote buying and influencing of voters’ choice during the governorship election by party members at some polling units,” adding that in such polling units, many voters were forced to vote for candidates they did not intend to vote for.
