On Saturday, November 16, 2024, Yiaga Africa deployed the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology to observe the Ondo State governorship election. This involved 300 stationary and 24 roving observers, covering a representative sample of polling units across all 18 LGAs. The PRVT enables Yiaga Africa to independently assess the quality of election day processes and verify the accuracy of the official election results as announced by INEC. Yiaga Africa observers also deployed to the State and LGA results collation centres to observe the process, ensuring timely and accurate reporting of the election process. Yiaga Africa commends and congratulates the people of Ondo State for upholding peace during the voting, counting, and result collation process across the state. The election process was relatively calm and orderly, demonstrating citizens’ interest in participating peacefully. Yiaga Africa also noted a significant improvement in logistics management for the Ondo 2024 governorship election. Almost every polling station in the state was open, giving eligible voters in Ondo an equal opportunity to vote.
The election day process was largely peaceful, and we commend the people of Ondo state for their orderliness, and the security agents for their professionalism and coordination. We condemn the observed incidents of vote-buying, which characterized the election as a major threat to the credibility of the electoral process. This practice promotes electoral corruption, erodes equality in election competition and undermines the legitimacy of electoral victory. Yiaga Africa calls on political parties to refrain from the culture of commercialization of elections in Nigeria and invest rather in practices that enhance trust in the elections.
