NIGERIA FINAL REPORT GENERAL ELECTIONS APRIL 2011 EUROPEAN UNION ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION This report was produced by the European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria and presents the mission’s findings on the 2011 General Elections. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the European External Action Service nor by the European Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the European External Action Service nor of the European Commission. The European External Action Service and the European Commission do not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this report, nor do they accept responsibility for any use made thereof. European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria Final Report on the 2011 General Elections TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................. 1 II. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 9 III. POLITICAL BACKGROUND ........................................................................................ 9 IV. LEGAL ISSUES ............................................................................................................... 11 A. Legal Framework ............................................................................................................ 11 B. Election Legislation ......................................................................................................... 13 C. Electoral System .............................................................................................................. 14 D. International and Regional Commitments ....................................................................... 15 V. ELECTION ADMINISTRATION .................................................................................. 16 A. Structure and Composition of the Election Administration ............................................ 16 B. The Administration of the 2011 General Elections ......................................................... 17 VI. VOTER REGISTRATION ............................................................................................. 22 A. The Right to Vote ............................................................................................................ 22 B. Voter Registration Procedures ......................................................................................... 23 VII. REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES AND POLITICAL PARTIES ..................... 24 VIII. ELECTION CAMPAIGN AND PRE-ELECTION ENVIRONMENT ................... 26 A. Legal Framework of the Election Campaign .................................................................. 26 B. Overview of the Election Campaign and Pre-election Environment .............................. 26 C. Use of State Resources .................................................................................................... 27 D. Campaign Finance ........................................................................................................... 28 E. Voter Education ............................................................................................................... 28 IX. MEDIA AND THE ELECTIONS .................................................................................. 29 A. Media Landscape ............................................................................................................. 29 B. Legal Framework for the Media ...................................................................................... 31 C. Monitoring of Media Coverage ....................................................................................... 32 X. HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN ................................ 35 A. Human Rights .................................................................................................................. 35 B. Participation of Women in the Electoral Process ............................................................ 36 XI. PARTICIPATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY ..................................................................... 37 XII. PETITIONS AND APPEALS ....................................................................................... 39 A. The Judiciary ................................................................................................................... 39 B. Electoral Offences ........................................................................................................... 39 C. Pre-election Petitions ....................................................................................................... 40 D. Post-election Petitions ..................................................................................................... 43 XIII. OVERVIEW OF THE ELECTION DAYS ................................................................ 45 A. Election Day on 9 April ................................................................................................... 45 B. Election Day on 16 April ................................................................................................. 47 C. Election Days on 26 and 28 April, and on 6 May ........................................................... 48 XIV. RESULTS ...................................................................................................................... 49 XV. RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................... 51 ANNEX A: LIST OF ACRONYMS ..................................................................................... 57 ANNEX B: MEDIA MONITORING FINDINGS ............................................................... 59 ANNEX C: TABLE ON THE PRE-ELECTION PETITIONS ......................................... 78 ANNEX D: TABLE ON THE POST-ELECTION PETITIONS FILED AT THE ELECTION TRIBUNALS .................................................................................................... 92 ANNEX E: ELECTION RESULTS ................................................................................... 121 European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria Final Report on the 2011 General Elections I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2011 General Elections of the Federal Republic of Nigeria were the fourth elections since the country’s return to democracy in 1999. The original calendar for the elections foresaw three consecutive Saturdays from 2 to 16 April. However, these dates were subsequently modified for different reasons. Elections took place in the following order: on 9 April for the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives), on 16 April the Presidential office and on 26 and 28 April, and 6 May for Governorships and State Houses Assembly. The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) was deployed in Nigeria from 1 March to 21 May 2011 following an invitation of INEC. The EU EOM was led by Chief Observer Alojz Peterle, a Member of the European Parliament and it comprised 141 observers who were deployed to all the States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The observers originated from the 27 EU Member States, as well as from Norway and Switzerland. In total during election days, the EU observers made 1,684 visits to polling units in order to observe accreditation, voting and counting, and additionally they observed collation of results at 309 centres at ward, Local Government Area (LGA) and higher levels. The EU EOM findings and recommendations are based on its observations. The EU EOM is independent in its findings and conclusions, and operated autonomously under its specific mandate, in compliance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observers, commemorated at the United Nations in New York in October 2005. The death of President Umaru Yar’Adua in May 2010 determined the succession of Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan. In June 2010, President Jonathan appointed Professor Attahiru Jega as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He was selected on the basis of his reputation, and in recognition of the role he played in the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) that was established to review the electoral process and the legal framework after the widely rigged and disputed 2007 elections. The 2011 General Elections marked an important step towards strengthening democratic elections in Nigeria, but challenges remain. Overall, the legal framework for the 2011 General Elections provided an adequate basis for the conduct of democratic elections in accordance with international principles and with the international instruments ratified by the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Following the Electoral Reform Committee‟s (ERC) report of December 2008 that commented on several shortcomings affecting the quality and credibility of elections, such as the necessity to address the prevailing atmosphere of impunity with regard to electoral offences, in June 2010 the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly approved the first amendments to the 1999 Constitution. These brought significant improvements, concerning inter alia the financial autonomy of INEC and the introduction of the prerequisite for INEC‟s Chairperson and National Commissioners not to be members of a political party. Regrettably, the amendments failed to introduce some of the ERC‟s recommendations, such as the independent appointment of the Chair of INEC and the Resident Electoral Commissioners