Accredited Civil Society Organisations , under the auspices of Network of Civil Society Organisation in Nigeria , a group that monitored the June 20, 2026 Enugu North Senatorial Zone bye-election has described the exercise as largely peaceful, transparent and in line with electoral laws, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to improve the functionality of its BVAS machines and strengthen logistics ahead of future elections.
This was contained in a Communique presented to Newsmen by a member of the group ,Abubakar Musa, on Monday in Enugu on the outcome of the election observation exercise conducted during the bye-election.
Musa stated that the election was conducted to fill the vacancy created by the death of the late Senator Okechukwu Ezea, who represented the district in the Senate before his demise.
According to him, as an accredited and reputable civil society organisation involved in election observation across Nigeria, the group closely monitored critical aspects of the electoral process, including the distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials, deployment of election officials, voter accreditation, voting, collation and security arrangements.
Abubakar Musa
He noted that the election was conducted across the six local government areas that make up Enugu North Senatorial District and featured participation by several political parties.
Musa said the exercise was conducted substantially in compliance with the Electoral Act 2022, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and relevant INEC guidelines.
He observed that election materials were generally distributed across polling units, although some centres experienced delays due to the late arrival of election personnel and materials.
He also acknowledged the movement restrictions imposed by the Enugu State Government in the six council areas during the election, noting that the measure contributed to maintaining order throughout the exercise.
According to the communiqué, polling units were accessible to voters, including elderly persons and persons living with disabilities, while accreditation and voting were carried out simultaneously in accordance with INEC procedures.
Party agents, he added, were allowed to monitor the process, while counting and collation of results took place openly in the presence of party representatives and security personnel.
Musa disclosed that there were isolated cases of malfunctioning BVAS machines in some polling units, leading to delays in voter accreditation and voting.
Despite the technical challenges, he stated that none of the group’s field observers reported shortages of voting materials in any polling unit across the senatorial district.
The organisation further praised security agencies for maintaining professionalism before, during and after the election, noting that adequate security presence helped ensure a peaceful atmosphere.
Based on its findings, the observer group recommended that INEC improve the performance and reliability of BVAS machines before future elections to prevent avoidable delays in the voting process.
It also called on security agencies to ensure wider deployment of personnel to remote and hard-to-reach communities rather than concentrating officers in urban centres.
The group urged INEC to strengthen its logistical arrangements to guarantee the timely commencement of voting across all polling units.
Commending INEC, security agencies and other stakeholders for their roles in the exercise, Musa also commended Enugu State Government for providing what he described as a peaceful and conducive environment for the conduct of the election.
He appealed to political parties and candidates to accept election outcomes through lawful channels and continue to promote democratic values, sportsmanship and national development.
Musa equally acknowledged the role of the media in providing coverage of the electoral process and contributing to democratic accountability.
