New Telegraph

We’ll be objective, impartial in monitoring election –C’wealth Observers

The Commonwealth Observer Group yesterday pledged its impartiality ahead of the February 25-March 11 general election. The election monitoring team comprises 16 eminent persons from around the Commonwealth, including politicians, diplomats and experts in law, human rights, and gender equality and election administration.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the leader of the Commonwealth Observer Group to the election Thabo Mbeki urged the contesting parties, their candidates and their supporters to play their part in ensuring a peaceful, transparent and credible election. According to him, they will be “objective, independent and impartial”.

The former South African President added: “The outcomes  of the elections will be significant not only for Nigeria but also for the entire continent. Therefore, we urge all stakeholders in Nigeria to uphold their commitment to ensuring a peaceful and inclusive election in which the people of Nigeria are able to freely exercise their right to vote, with the fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly fully respected.

“Our mandate is to observe and assess the pre-election period, activities on polling day and the post-election period. Throughout, we will consider all factors relating to the credibility of the electoral process. We will assess whether the elections are conducted according to the standards for democratic elections to which Nigeria has committed itself. As we undertake this assessment and conduct our duties, we will be objective, independent and impartial.

“Over the coming  days, the group will receive briefings from the electoral authorities, political parties, the media and civil society groups representing women, youths and people with disabilities. This will enable the group to get a better understanding of the situation within the country ahead of the election.” Mbeki said as of  February 2023, an estimated 93.4 million registered voters will have the right to cast ballots for presidential and National Assembly candidates in 176,846 polling units across Nigeria.

According to him, observers will be deployed across the country to observe the pre-election preparations as well as voting, counting and results processes at polling stations 48 hours before the polls. He said an interim statement, which provides the group’s preliminary assessment of the electoral process, will be delivered at a press conference on February 27 in Abuja.

According to the work plan, the group will, after the polls, submit its recommendations in a report to Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, who would in turn forward the report to the Nigerian government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the leadership of parties taking part in the election and all Commonwealth governments. The report will be made public afterwards

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