The Gender and Election Watch Room has said that women were agitated, intimidated sighting armed police officers amongst voters adding that unauthorised armed men disrupted the voting process and forcefully carted away the ballot boxes and papers.
The Chief Executive Officer of GEW, Mufuliat Fijabi, of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, made this known in its interim press statement briefing on the conduct of the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections held on February 25, 2023, on Sunday in Abuja.
Fijabi stated, “In Garki Primary School, in Abuja, 005 Polling Unit, women were agitated and intimidated at the sight of armed police officers amongst voters. In Surulere 081, 082 and 083 polling units, Lagos, unauthorised armed men disrupted the voting process and forcefully carted away the ballot boxes and papers.”
The group also decried security breaches and intimidation in the FCT, Kogi, Kano, Lagos, and Anambra.
It said, “In Gabasawa, in Kano, 018 Polling Unit at 12.57pm, there was absence of security personnel, voting was disrupted as fighting broke out amongst voters.
“This led to women voters being scared away including Uhrum, Anambra, PU 001, where poll officials were present but there was absence of security personnel as vigilantes were called in to intervene in the violence that erupted amongst the voters.”
The group, however, salute female voters for their courage and commitment.
“In spite of the low turnout of female voters and challenges experienced, women were determined and stayed on into the early hours of 26 February 2023 to cast their votes.
Women were resilient despite heavy rainfall in some parts of FCT, Rivers, Anambra, and Lagos states.
“The elderly, pregnant women, nursing mothers and PWDs were allowed priority voting. There were reported cases of malfunctioning of election materials which were addressed but caused delays in the conduct of polls,” it said.
