The Electoral Observation Mission of the European Union presented a preliminary report on Nigeria’s 2023 general election during a press conference held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on Monday. The Chief Observer of the Mission, Barry Andrews, revealed that the mission comprised a total of 110 observers, including 11 core team members, 14 long-term observers, and 96 short-term observers, which included delegates from the European Parliament.
In his address, Andrews highlighted several issues that marred the elections, including abuse of incumbency, widespread allegations of vote buying, disinformation directed at voters, and a lack of planning during critical stages of the electoral process. He noted that while fundamental freedoms of assembly and movement were largely respected, their full enjoyment was hindered by inadequate planning, insecurity, and ongoing shortages of naira and fuel. The abuse of incumbency by various political office holders created an uneven playing field, further exacerbated by the allegations of vote buying.
Andrews also pointed out that although stakeholders initially expressed confidence in the independence and professionalism of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), this confidence diminished as the elections approached. He criticized INEC for its lack of efficient planning and transparency during crucial stages of the electoral process. On election day, trust in INEC further eroded due to delays in polling processes and gaps in information regarding access to results on its Results Viewing Portal.
The introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) for the 2023 elections was seen as a significant step toward ensuring electoral integrity and credibility. However, Andrews noted that delayed training of technical personnel, insufficient mock testing, and a lack of information about the election technologies led to diminished expectations and increased speculation and uncertainty.
While commending citizens for their turnout at the polls, Andrews stated that the EU would continue to monitor the collation of results, as well as the upcoming governorship and state assembly elections on March 11. He emphasized that the mission would present its final report three months after the conclusion of the election processes to avoid interfering with the electoral proceedings. He assured that the mission would follow the ongoing processes related to the presidential and National Assembly elections until their conclusion and would continue its activities until the March elections.
Additionally, the Head of the European Parliament Delegates, Miss Evin Incir, expressed concern regarding the low representation of women in the elections, noting that less than 10 percent of the total candidates were female. She urged that the next government and parliament should heed the manifestos of Nigeria’s main political parties, which advocate for affirmative action, such as quotas for women.
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