Ahead of Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election in Edo State, Yiaga Africa has listed eight of the 18 local government areas as hotspots of violence that must be adequately addressed to ensure the success of the election.

This is contained in the pre-election statement on the 2024 Edo State Governorship Election presented on Thursday by Dr Aisha Abdullahi and Samson Itodo, Chair of the 2024 Edo Election Mission and Executive Director of Yiaga Africa respectively.

The briefing was also attended by other board members of Yiaga Africa, including Prof Nnamdi Aduba, Ezenwa Nwagwu, Cynthia Mbamalu and Dr Asmau Maikudi.

Weekend Trust reports that sensitive materials are being distributed across the 4,519 polling units (PUs) in the state with 2,249,780 of the 2,629,025 total registered voters expected to participate in the exercise which has generated a lot of tension in the state in recent days, including the refusal of the PDP and its candidate to signed the peace accord of the election.

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) have reportedly been engaged in war of words, with both vowing that the election would be a do-or-die affair.

Yiaga Africa, however, said the Edo 2024 election would be a barometer for measuring commitment to electoral integrity in the country.

Dr. Abdullahi and Itodo, who read the statement, said that though the election would be conducted in a climate of economic hardship, security volatility and distrust in state institutions and the electoral process, they have also identified three critical tests that will shape this election: an impartiality test for security agencies, a resilience test for citizens, and an integrity test for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

She said on election day, Yiaga Africa will deploy 325 trained and accredited observers, both stationary and roving, to monitor the conduct of the election, which includes 300 stationary observers who will be placed at randomly selected sample of 300 polling units (PUs) across the 18 LGAs, using the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology.

“Yiaga Africa has identified eight LGAs as hotpots for violence. They include Ikpoba/Okha, Oredo, Egor, Ovia South West, Ovia North East, Esan South East, Etsako West and Etsako East. The volatile security environment in these LGAs necessitates a strategic and neutral deployment of security forces,” Abdullahi said.

She also listed voter inducement and potential vote buying on Election Day, as multiple instances of voter inducement were seen during the pre-election campaign period, with political parties and politicians distributing cash, gifts and food items to entice voters.

“These monetary gifts, ranging from N1,000 to N2,000, raise serious concerns about the credibility of the electoral process. These practices of voter inducement undermine the integrity of the electoral process, as they can distort the free will of the electorate and compromise the democratic principle of free and fair elections,” she added.

The statement also said that while the high rate of PVCs collection indicates a willingness among the electorate to participate, several factors may contribute to continued low voter turnout.

“Concerns over potential violence, economic hardship, and a deep-seated lack of confidence in the electoral process could deter voters from voting. Past elections in Edo State reflect this trend, with voter turnout declining from 32 percent in 2016 to 27 percent in 2020, marking an 8 percent decrease.

“Additionally, widespread disillusionment with political elites and persistent governance failures may further discourage voter participation,” it said.