6. Voting
The Voting Phase
By the time voting day arrives everything should be in place and the focus moves to ensuring that nothing impedes the course of democracy.
People need to be in place ahead of time so that no one is turned away because the station is not open. And the stations must be open when they say and for as long as they have promised.
No citizen should feel intimidated or in any way discouraged from turning up to place their vote.
“The travesty was so monumental in its completeness that words, even the word “rigging” are inadequate to describe it. It would simply be an abuse of language to use any of the epithets ‘free’, ‘fair’, or ‘credible’ in connection with the charade that took place in Nigeria on the 14th and 21st of April 2007”
“We called up this meeting purposely to share with you local chiefs…and to tell you people that I the Governor of Osun State Olagunsoye Oyinlola is ready to supply all the 16 LG with armed men, particularly the affected 10 LG Chairmen where the election will be conducted with army uniform and arms and ammunition which you people will give to your supporters who will camouflage like Army…at each voting centre. This will aid them in rigging the elections by intimidating the voters not to come out to vote. The only people that will come out will be the PDP so that the victory of Segun Oni will be ascertained…”
“At the stage of actual voting, the well-armed political thugs scare off, maim and kill citizens (sometimes police men) in order to snatch ballot boxes”.