From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has threatened to withdraw the accreditation of domestic and foreign election observers found wanting in violating the code of conduct during the Edo and Ondo States off-cycle governorship elections.
INEC gave the warning during the pre-election training workshop for accredited election observers held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The National Commissioner and chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, who gave the warning, said: “I need to however bring to your attention that your accreditation may be withdrawn at any stage of the election process if it is established that your organisation is violating the Code of Conduct for observers as contained in the Guidelines for Election Observation available on INEC website.
“Again, you are to be reminded that the accreditation of your organization to observe the elections is without financial obligations on the commission.
“Another serious issue with election observation which has been of concern to the commission is the issue of integrity in election observation.
“While there are quite a number of trustworthy, honest, objective, hardworking and credible observer groups in the country who have contributed greatly to deepening democracy and the electoral process in Nigeria over the years, there are still others who have continued to display laxity about election observation and have cared less about the integrity of the entire process,” he warned.
He also highlighted the importance of familiarising the observers with the new online processes for uploading field observers, the functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and the overall election day procedures.
The training aimed at enhancing the observers’ understanding and adherence to the election guidelines, thereby contributing to a transparent and credible electoral process.
Olumekun acknowledged the critical role of observers in promoting democratic principles in Nigeria.
He announced that 153 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) had applied for accreditation, out of which 134, including 124 domestic and 10 international groups, met the required standards.
The accredited groups encompass gender-based, disability-focused, faith-based, and other organizations with relevant experience in election observation.
“The forthcoming Edo and Ondo Governorship elections are being conducted as off-cycle elections (that is, elections conducted outside the regular electoral cycle of the country) due to the end of the tenure of the governors of the two States.
“By our records, a total of 153 applications were received from interested Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for the two elections.
“After review and assessment as provided by our regulations and guidelines, 134 groups (124 domestic and 10 international) met the requirements for accreditation.
“The classification of the accredited groups showed that 28 are gender-based, 3 represent persons with disability, eight are faith-based, 10 international and over 100 others working in areas relevant to the functions of the Commission. Most of these organizations possess previous experience in election observation.
“A few, however, have been granted observation for the first time to offer them opportunities to observe the processes of election and enable them to contribute their quota in assessing and improving democratic principles,” he said.