Election observer warns over late material movement

Yiaga Africa has raised concerns over the late arrival of sensitive election materials in Osun, warning that transporting them at night could create security risks.

Election observer organisation Yiaga Africa has raised concerns over the late movement of sensitive electoral materials ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, warning that disruptions to INEC’s logistics could pose avoidable risks to the conduct of the poll.

The Independent National Electoral Commission was forced to reprint ballot papers and result sheets following the late inclusion of the Social Democratic Party candidate, Francis Ajala. The revised materials were expected to arrive in Osun on Thursday, 13 August, for onward distribution to local government areas. However, the compressed timeline has reduced the time available for sorting and deployment ahead of Saturday’s poll.

Yiaga Africa Executive Director Samson Itodo said the late arrival had disrupted the commission’s original logistics plan and could result in electoral materials being transported at night in an already tense security environment. “We anticipate, and we are concerned, that unless extra measures are taken to ensure those materials get to the local government and their rights get activated early enough, then we might have a challenge,” he said. The organisation called on security agencies to provide additional protection for election materials and personnel during the movement.

The late movement of election materials is a recipe for disaster. Transporting sensitive materials at night in a tense security environment increases the risk of accidents, theft and manipulation. INEC’s last-minute reprinting of ballots is a sign of poor planning, and the voters of Osun deserve better.

This echoes the 2019 election logistics challenges, which also saw late movement of materials in some states. The mechanism was different then, but the result was the same: a rush that compromised the electoral process.

The winners: none. The losers: the voters of Osun, who face the risk of a disrupted election, and INEC, whose reputation suffers from poor logistics planning.

Bottom Line: Election materials are arriving late in Osun. Night transport in a tense environment is a risk. The question is whether the election will go smoothly or be marred by logistics failures.