A Non-Governmental Organisation, Voters Awareness Initiative, on Wednesday enjoined international observers to Saturday elections in Nigeria not to feel threatened in carrying out their assignments across the country.
The president of the NGO, Mr Wale Ogunade, told the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos the Observers should be allowed to carry out
their duties without threats.
According to him, international election observers are usually given
privileges internationally to perform their duties of observing
and writing reports on the conduct of elections.
“International observers to the 2019 general elections in Nigeria should
be able to go about their duties without hindrances of any kind.
“We need to know that Nigeria is not the first country to receive
international observers. And these are not the first elections that
has brought observers to Nigeria.
“We must know that these international election observers have
immunity. They are given adequate protection. So, I do not see why and
how they can be put under any stress this time around,’’ he said.
The human rights lawyer also said it was imperative for adequate
protection to be provided for international observers that would be
visiting the creeks and other vulnerable communities.
Ogunade, however, urged the observers not to be involved in election
processes that had no direct connection with their duties, so as to
safeguard their credibility.
The president said that what Nigeria currently needed was credible,
free and fair elections that Nigerians, Africa and the international
community would celebrate.
“Nigerians and the world really want an electoral process that
would place Nigeria’s democracy among other celebrated democracies in
the world.
“So, as international observers, you have no business poke nosing or
giving orders, trying to organise or arrange the conduct of elections.
“As international observers, you are only meant to observe, write your
reports and send your reports to the elections monitoring board,’’ he
said.
International election observation has become an important mechanism
for ensuring election integrity in countries undergoing a transition to
democracy or in post-conflict societies.
International observation today enjoys near-universal acceptance, and
can help to raise voter confidence and evaluate the legitimacy of an
electoral process.
It has also become a learning opportunity for national electoral
administrators and election participants. It promotes bilateral exchanges
of knowledge and information on electoral practices, sometimes leading
to lasting cooperative relations.
Usually, international observation occurs when there are concerns about
the freeness or fairness of an election. For international observation to
be an effective detector and deterrent of integrity problems, it needs to
be adapted to the type of electoral system and election it is covering.
For instance, an election in a post-conflict society requires a different
kind of observation from an election in a country adopting electoral
reforms.