#NigeriaDecides2019: Groups excited over women turn-out

The Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) Gender and Election Watch (GEW), which deployed 290 observers across states and the FCT for the Saturday’s General Elections, has expressed joy over the massive turn-out of women.

The Chief Executive Officer, Gender and Election Watch (GEW) Room of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Ms. Mufuliat Fijabi, said GEW observed the 2019 elections through the gender lens; focusing on female voters compared to male voters, gender mix of security agents, poll workers, accredited observers, media personnel and party agents.

According to her, there were massive turn-out of women; priority voting for PWDs, nursing, pregnant women and the elderly; separate queues based on gender; there was good gender mix of security agents, observers, accredited journalist, party agents and poll workers; and the election being generally peaceful even though there were reported pockets of violence in some states;

She also listed a high number of young voter turnouts; and an extension of voting time to make up for the late commencement in some of the polling units.

Some of the challenges, she said, were late arrival of INEC personnel to some of the polling units; delayed opening of polls due to late arrival of polling officials in some of the polling units; there were no magnifying glasses sighted in polling units visited; malfunction card readers in some polling units, though some were resolved.

“Poor crowd control in some polling units with large voting population; some voters could not find their names on INEC voter register despite having the right PVCs and being at the right polling units; some of the Adhoc-Staff did not have good working knowledge of the voting procedures,” she said.

The report recommended early arrival of all poll workers to their polling units; better training of Adhoc-staff, particularly those handling the smart card reader; better crowd control in polling units with large voting population; and for INEC to strengthen voter education through appropriate channels on how to identify polling units and points among others.