28 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The European Union Electoral Observation Mission in Nigeria has warned of the lack of transparency in the presidential elections held this weekend, and has blamed the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (CNEI) for this in a preliminary report presented this Monday.
The head of the group of international observers, Barry Andrews, has cited among the reasons a lack of security at polling stations, as well as the shortage of new naira bills and fuel, as he assured at a press conference.
It has also added that confidence in the CNEI has been reduced due to delays in the electoral processes, as well as the lack of information in accessing the results of the results portal that it has.
“Fundamental freedoms of assembly and movement were largely respected, although the latter was impeded in part by lack of planning, insecurity and the continuing shortage of naira notes and fuel. An abuse of office by various political actors also prevented equal conditions, and there are accusations of buying votes”, reads the preliminary report, according to the news portal ‘Vanguard’.
“The media provided an extensive level of information about the three main candidacies, but the misinformation interfered with voters’ rights to make informed decisions on voting day,” the letter continues.
The trust placed in the CNEI, EU observers have assured, has diminished for all these reasons. They have also celebrated the introduction of the new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), although once again they have criticized the lack of prior preparation of the personnel under their charge, as well as the lack of information to the rest of the population about the new technological systems that would be used, leaving room for speculation and misinformation.
