Peace Committee, NBC monitor governorship, state assembly elections

From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja

The National Peace Committee (NPC) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), yesterday, monitored the governorship and state assembly elections across the states.

The Kukah Centre where the Secretariat of the National Peace Committee is domiciled disclosed on its Facebook page that the Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Samuela Isopi, was at the National Peace Committee Situation Room.

The Kukah Centre reported that National Peace Committee Situation Room observed that there were several reports of voter intimidation, cases of disruption in states like Lagos, vote buying, and issues of ethnic profiling.

“Ambassador of @EUinNigeria, H.E. @SamuelaIsopiEU, visited the National Peace Committee Situation Room @KukahCentre accompanied by the Executive Director, Fr. @BarkindoAtta to see the observation work the team is doing.

 “The NPC Situation Room observed that elections commenced early and BVAS functioned much better in most PUs, but there were several reports of voter intimidation and some cases of disruption, in states like Lagos, vote buying, and issues of ethnic profiling,” The Kukah Centre said.

 The Kukah Centre further said “in line with the @EUinNigeria’s mandate to support democratic governance in Nigeria through its @EU_SDGN programme,” the EU is interested in the electoral process and assists in pushing messages of peace and building capacity of major players, including media and political parties.

 On its part, the NBC said in line with its mandate of monitoring the airwaves as it relates to broadcast contents and to ensure stations adhere strictly to the guidelines of election coverage and reportage, its Central Election Monitoring Committee, chaired by the Director, Broadcast Monitoring, Mrs. Franca Aiyetan, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, monitored the broadcast of the ongoing Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections by broadcast stations.

 “The Committee will also amongst its responsibilities, collate monitoring reports from the Commission’s Zonal and State offices across the country and issue sanctions, accordingly,” the NBC stated.