***Says Elections Africa’s Largest Democratic Exercise
By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Five days to Nigeria’s general elections, the Commonwealth Observer Group has arrived Abuja with a clarion call to all stakeholders in the elections to uphold their commitment to a peaceful and inclusive elections in which the people of Nigeria are able to freely exercise their rights to vote, with the fundamental freedom of expression, association and assembly fully respected.
This call was made today by the
Commonwealth Observer Group led by former President of South Africa, His Excellency, Thabo Mbeki, who in his Arrival Speech delivered during a press conference held at The Envoy Hotels, Abuja, stated that the 2023 elections in Nigeria “will be Africa’s largest democratic exercise.
Mbeki who was flanked at the event by Mrs. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Chair of the Group and other senior members of the delegation like Linford Andrews, Joshua Setipa and Snober Abbasi, Senior Communications Officer at the Commonwealth Secretariat, said “It’s clear the outcome of the elections will be significant not only for Nigeria, but also for the entire continent”.
The former South African leader who read from a prepared speech stated the mission of the Group in Nigeria, described Nigeria as “Africa’s largest democracy and a valued member of the Commonwealth”.
According to him: “The Commonwealth has a long tradition of supporting the country’s democratic development through election observation. This will be the seventh time a Commonwealth Observer Group will be observing elections in Nigeria, since 1999”.
Mbeki disclosed that the Group has been in Abuja since February 18 with no fewer than 16 strong members, saying that: “Our mandate is to observe and assess the pre-election period, activities on polling day and the post -elections period. Throughout, we will consider all factors relating to the credibility of the electoral process”.
Specifically, the Chair said the Group will assess wether the elections are conducted according to the standards for democratic elections to which Nigeria has committed itself, including the constitutional framework and national legislation as well as Commonwealth and other international commitments”.
The form President of South Africa however promised that, “as we undertake this assessment and conduct our duties, we will be objective, independent and impartial”.
Meanwhile, Mbeki disclosed that the Group will also today (Monday) with other observers meet with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, to learn more about preparations for polling day.
“We will deploy our Observers to different parts of the country, to observe the campaigning, voting, counting and results process , having taken into account the need to receive briefings from relevant stakeholders, including representatives of political parties, the government, independent institutions, Commonwealth High Commissioners and various Civil Society Organisations, including groups representing gender, youth and people with disabilities”, Mbeki stated.
The Group which was constituted by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC, at the invitation of the Chairman of INEC.
The Group will however deploy Observers to only eight out of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The states are Kano, Sokoto, Lagos, Edo, Rivers, Benue, Ondo and FCT.
