International organisations from all over the world are invited to monitor the general elections in Nigeria in 2023 at the invitation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made the call when he welcomed the delegation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Pre-Election Fact Finding Mission to Nigeria.
At the commission’s Abuja offices on Monday, the group was led by Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, a former chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana.
The INEC chairman revealed that inviting foreign observers was a ritualistic display of the commission’s openness.
“Election Observation is an important part of ensuring transparency and credibility in elections. We have always benefited from the insight of election observation missions.
“For instance, you are here on fact-finding, we will hear from you what you have found so far, which will help us in concluding our preparations for the election.
“And I look forward also to receive any report at the end of the process in February and March, so that we can learn even more from the inside.’’
The chairman assured the ECOWAS that Nigeria 2023 general elections would be technology driven.
“Let me restate the commitment of INEC Nigeria free, fair and credible elections driven by technology.
“The 2023 general election in Nigeria will be driven by technology not only as a matter of legal requirement, but also as a matter of course, for us in the commission.
“So, I want to assure the ECOWAS team that we are committed to delivering a credible election in the next four months and a few days, which will be Nigeria’s seventh successive elections, since the restoration of democracy in 1999,’’ Yakubu said.
Yakubu said ECOWAS was the first organization to arrive in Nigeria for the election and complimented it for its dedication to ensuring fair elections in Nigeria.
“ECOWAS has demonstrated that seriousness and commitment to ensuring that we get right electorally in this region in the next few weeks, I’m sure many more organizations will come.”
Yakubu also emphasized the necessity of restoring democracy to all West African nations, particularly Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.
In accordance with the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol 2021 to observe elections in Nigeria, the delegation was in Nigeria to gather information prior to the country’s general elections in 2023, according to Dr. Remi Ajibewa, who spoke on behalf of the group.
According to Ajibewa, the protocol’s Articles 11, 12, and 13 require the commission to send electoral fact-finding missions to all ECOWAS member states that are about to hold elections, particularly presidential elections.
“And this is why we are here and in the cause of our being here in Nigeria there will be visits first to ECOWAS Commission, which we have done that is to brief the head of mission.
“Then, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where we have been this morning, then the Inspector-General of Police, then some civil societies and INEC.
“Basically, the reason why we normally do that is that we believe INEC is our friend, so, that’s some of the things that we’ve had, we also put it across to them, areas where discussion.
“So in the course we’ll also be visiting the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. We will be visiting the resident electoral commissioners. We will be visiting the security agencies. We will be visiting the traditional and religious leaders.
“We will be visiting the civil society, having audience our discussion with them, all to know the preparedness of these stakeholders we are meeting.
“But in particular, we will not miss out the political parties, given the fact that they constitute the sort of important role.
“Then in the course we’ll be meeting the media , speaking with the Bar Association, the courts as well because of their role,’’ he said
The delegation’s journey to Nigeria was not the first time, according to Ajibewa, the Director of Political Affairs for the ECOWAS Commission, as it had also taken place during past elections in the nation, including the 2019 national elections.
He stated that given Nigeria’s leadership position in the subregion, ECOWAS looks forward to successful and credible elections in West African nations in 2023.
“We all know the importance Nigeria holds, given the fact that, as they used to say, if Nigeria sneezes, the whole West Africa catches cold and we don’t pray that will be the result.
“So we are here to listen to you, to see the area of challenges that we might also report.’’
