Respect Nigeria’s sovereignty, INEC warns foreign observers

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned foreign observers monitoring this weekend’s presidential and National Assembly election to respect the sovereignty of Nigeria.

It disclosed that it has accredited 33 international organisations to monitor the polls and that they would be deploying 2,113 observers. He said in all, 229 groups would me monitoring the elections and would be deploying 146,913 observers for the poll.

INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated this at the briefing for accredited election observers in Abuja, yesterday.

“I wish to remind observers that there is a code of conduct for election observation. You are by definition observers; do not interfere with the process or show partisanship. 

“In addition, international observers must be guided by the fact that the election is conducted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria whose sovereignty must be respected. I urge you all to keep to the rules. For the 2023 general election beginning this weekend with the presidential and National Assembly elections, the commission has accredited 196 national or domestic groups that are collectively deploying 144,800 observers.

“Similarly, the commission accredited 33 international organisations deploying 2,113 observers. In all, 229 groups are deploying 146,913 observers for the 2023 general election. This is the largest deployment of domestic and international observers in the history of elections in Nigeria,” he said.

Yakubu explained that the presence of international and domestic monitors as well as study groups was in line with global good practice.

“As a consequence, observers submit reports to electoral commissions highlighting strengths and weaknesses of processes. Arising from study tours, election managers also learn from other jurisdictions. 

“The reports and recommendations of observers and the knowledge from the study tours help electoral commissions to progressively improve processes. The progressive improvement in our electoral democracy since 1999 draws in part from the reports of observers and the study tours. 

“That is why over the years, the commission has sent open or specific invitations to national and international observers. The implication is that all accredited observers are guests of INEC,” he said.