THE Election monitoring group, Yiaga Africa, has expressed concern over the conduct of Nigeria’s recent by-elections, stressing that the country must move beyond holding “relatively peaceful” polls to establishing processes that inspire genuine trust and confidence in the electoral system.
Speaking on Channels Tv, the organisation’s Programme Director, Cynthia Mbamalu, noted that while the by-elections were largely peaceful, there were instances in some constituencies where thugs attempted to disrupt voting.
She emphasized that credibility, rather than just peace, should define Nigeria’s elections.
Mbamalu identified the management of results as the most pressing challenge, explaining that although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has provided for electronic collation in its guidelines, poor implementation continues to cast doubts on the process.
She added that inconsistent decisions on over voting and ballot cancellations further create confusion and undermine transparency.
“The bigger question is not about saying elections were peaceful—we already expect peace. The real issue is compliance with guidelines and ensuring that result management is credible,” she said.
She also criticized political parties for deliberately undermining elections, accusing politicians of deploying desperate tactics to win power at all costs.
According to her, despite significant efforts to strengthen INEC’s independence and encourage voter participation, actions by the political class continue to erode democratic progress.