• APC restrains members from violence
• Condemns attack on campaign team
A new survey conducted by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has revealed an alarming level of low confidence among voters ahead of the upcoming Edo and Ondo state governorship elections.
The report suggested that many voters in both states are sceptical about the electoral process and are not sure of the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct credible elections.
Deputy Director, Accountability Programme, CJID, Mboho Eno, who raised the concerns at a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday, said that the significant trust deficit poses a risk to voter turnout and overall engagement during the election.
The survey is part of CJID’s Media in National Election (MiNE) project, which sought to understand public perceptions of electoral institutions and gauge citizen readiness to participate in the off-cycle elections, scheduled for September 21 and November 16, 2024, respectively.
The survey, which gathered responses from 2,156 participants with Permanent Voter Cards across Edo and Ondo states, was conducted using both online and offline methods to ensure inclusivity, particularly in rural areas.
The report noted that voters anticipate various barriers and challenges in participating in the election, including violence, ballot box theft, electoral malpractices, insecurity, delays, location barriers, late arrival of electoral staff and materials, registration challenges, voter apathy, rowdiness, disorderliness, technological failures, weather, and intimidation.
The survey noted that only 36 per cent of respondents expressed confidence in the elections being conducted fairly and credibly. In comparison, 36 per cent expressed scepticism about the judiciary’s impartiality in resolving election disputes.
MEANWHILE, the Media Director of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council, Kassim Afegbua, yesterday, said that the APC has restrained its members from engaging in violence despite the two recent attacks on the party’s campaign team.
Afegbua also alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had twisted the narrative to make it seem APC members were attacking their leaders or that the team was being chased out of campaign grounds.
In a statement, Afegbua said: “The rate at which propaganda has engulfed the PDP in Edo State during this campaign season is quite alarming. They brought in some hackers, spinners, hirelings, and cloners to twist narratives to suit their inflated egos, attempting, with exaggerated fanfare, to confuse Edo voters.
“Two incidents occurred during the APC campaigns in Edo North, and the reports we saw, scripted by the PDP supporters, were most confounding.
“At the Ososo campaign in Akoko-Edo Local Council, the APC held a very successful campaign with a huge turnout, much to the dismay of the PDP. As we were leaving the community, some ragtag thugs, presumably, PDP supporters, tried to disrupt the movement of our convoy.”
He expressed his gratitude to security operatives who restored order, adding that the party strongly believes that no life is worth losing over an election.
