From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) for the 2023 General Elections, Barry Andrews, has said that cooperation between all institutions and parties participating in the 2023 elections is crucial for the successful conduct of the polls.
In this interview with Sunday Sun, Andrews also said that the presence of a level playing field, freedom of expression, assembly and association, respect for human rights and a neutral and independent election management body at all levels are all essential for democratic elections.
Andrews spoke on the EU EOM’s mission to Nigeria since 1999 and the different stages of the electoral evolution in the country, among other issues.
You started monitoring elections in Nigeria since 1999. What can you remember were the major lapses in 1999? Over the years, do you think these observed lapses have been corrected?
The EU EOM’s mandate is to observe these general elections, and to analyse whether these elections adhere to international standards of democratic elections and the laws of Nigeria. Each election observation mission published a Final Report with recommendations for future elections on how to improve certain aspects of the electoral process. These recommendations were discussed with election stakeholders, including civil society organisations, who can often pressure for improvement in the process. Implementing recommendations takes time, but we are seeing a steady progress in terms of legal framework and various practices. The EU sent several follow-up missions over the years to see to what extent those recommendations were implemented, and now we are following how these changes – the implementation of the Electoral Act 2022 – impact the elections for the better. All recommendations of election observation missions are public.
What is the rate of positive progression of the elections since then? What and what do you think has helped to improve on the process?
The EU EOM 2019 made a total of 30 recommendations. Progress was made in several areas, such as increased consultation by INEC, enhancing operations at polling units, and inclusion of vulnerable and marginalised groups. Concretely, here are some examples: EU EOM 2019 recommended greater consultation with stakeholders, and we note that there are now established routine consultation and additional ad-hoc meeting between INEC and the various stakeholders. Additionally, the EU EOM called for immediate publication of result forms, and this will hopefully transpire with the planned transmission of results from the polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) public portal. Regarding enhancing operations at polling units, the EU EOM 2019 recommended an increase in polling units and enhancing their accessibility. The INEC has increased the number of polling units significantly for the 2023 elections. With respect to inclusion, all EU EOMs are keen to see better provisions for participation of vulnerable and marginalised groups and the EU EOM 2019 was no different. In 2019, we called for enhanced provision of facilities for polling and there has been positive steps taken in the law and in consultation with People With Disabilities (PWD) organisation. Of course, more could be done, and we hope these positive steps will be built upon. Important to note that recommendations are just that, recommendations. They are not obligations – they are suggestions on how to improve various aspects of the elections in accordance with international legal standards and best practices for elections. It is always a matter for the authorities to decide whether or not to implement them.
What do you think made the card reader to fail in our previous elections? Now that BVAS has taken over, do you think the process has been enhanced to the level of measuring to global standard?
The decision about the use of technology is solely in the hands of parliament and the election management bodies of the respective countries, in our case, National Assembly and INEC. I believe that the proper utilization of Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and IReV can advance the comprehensiveness, accuracy and transparency of all the electoral processes and, therefore, can enhance public trust in the election and results.
What specifically did the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) observed recently in Ekiti and Osun states? What do you think happened in Osun that despite the use of BVAS, people were still talking about over voting?
Commenting on certain aspects at this stage of the election process would be premature. Our long-term observers deployed to all states of Nigeria on 29 January and follow the electoral process on the ground. They report back to the core team of experts based in Abuja. All of their findings will be compiled in a comprehensive report and published two days after election day. This report – our Preliminary Statement – will include our preliminary findings, up to that point in the election process. Our Final Report will be published in about two months after the completion of the entire electoral process.
To what extent do you think insecurity has hampered elections in Nigeria from 1999 till date?
As I mentioned before, we are here to observe the general elections of 2023. Insecurity always has a negative impact on elections; however, we can only observe what is happening now and we do not interfere in the elections in any way.
With the level of insecurity in the country, how safe do observers feel in going to monitor elections from this month and what precautions are you taking?
The safety of our observers is of course a priority for us. Our plan is to observe in all 36 states and keep the security situation under review.
From the EU EOM’s experience, what advice will you give to Nigerian voters, electoral umpire and the security agencies who will come to protect the election?
We encourage the authorities, candidates, and political parties to commit to peaceful conduct prior to, during and after election day. Cooperation between all institutions and parties participating in the elections is crucial. The presence of a level playing field, freedom of expression, assembly and association, respect for human rights and a neutral and independent election management body at all levels are all essential for democratic elections.
You said the EU EOM will not interfere in Nigeria’s election. But in the past, we have seen the Nigerian government frowning at statements credited to the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union. Are you saying that the EU will sit on the fence during the forthcoming elections?
As an election observation mission, we have a distinct mandate to analyse to what extent these elections adhere to international standards of democratic elections and the laws of the country. Our established and consistent observation methodology that we have applied in over 200 election observation missions in around 75 countries in the past 21 years is also applied here in Nigeria. We will report on all our observations, including how the legal framework is implemented, the impartiality and performance of the election administration, the conduct of the media and social media, and of course, the voting, counting and tabulation process. We also assess the complaints and appeals process related to the elections. We are independent in our assessment from all EU institutions and the EU delegation to Nigeria. We do not speak for the European Union as a political actor, or any other EU bodies. We are an impartial election observation mission, fulfilling our specific mandate.
How much has the EU expended on Nigeria elections since 1999? How much is the 2023 elections gulping?
Overall, the cost of an EU mission is only a small part the European Union’s total commitments to democracy building in Nigeria. The European Union has provided technical assistance to Nigeria in the value of over 150 million Euros since the return to democratic governance in 1999. This is in addition to the costs of election observation and follow-up missions. The EU is supporting Nigeria between 2022 and 2027 with 39 million Euro to improve the quality of electoral administration, judicial reform, media, empowering civil society, and enhancing participation of women, youth, and other marginalized groups in the political process. (EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria, EU SDGN Programme). This project is designed around the recommendations of the EU Election Observation Mission. We hope that with our observation mission we can contribute in some way to further the evolution of Nigerian democracy and continue our partnership.
Regarding the use of technologies, will the election technology analyst monitor the length and breadth of the country?
As I mentioned before, our 40 long-term observers on the ground cover all the 36 states of Nigeria. Additionally, 56 locally recruited observers will join the mission from Embassies of EU Member States, as well as those of Norway, Switzerland, and Canada. In total, the Election Technology Analyst will have 116 pair of eyes on the ground monitoring the use of technology on election day.