The ECOWAS Commission’s Election Observation Mission (EOM) has urged presidential candidates in Nigeria to respect the election results, which will be announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
If an electoral dispute arises, the Mission wants any aggrieved candidate to use only legal channels to resolve it.
In a statement issued yesterday and signed by Ernest Bai Koroma, former President of Sierra Leone, the Mission praised Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari and the legislative bodies of Nigeria for measures put in place for the poll.
The measures include the adoption of the new Electoral Act that strengthened the autonomy and freedom of action of INEC and ensured greater transparency and inclusivity of the electoral process.
It also lauded INEC for the steps it took to boost voter confidence in the elections, as well as its proactive communication and interventions to resolve issues in real time on Election Day.
“The Mission commends the speed and transparency in the collation of electoral results and urges INEC to ensure prompt transmission and declaration of the provisional results,” the statement asserted.
The Mission, however, urged the authorities to take adequate mitigating measures in the implementation of major policy decisions during electoral periods, such as the current monetary measures, to alleviate the burden of citizen participation in the electoral process.
It again noted that logistics delays in the start of the voting process in some polling stations, as well as some technical issues with the BVAS machines, impacted the efficiency of the process in some areas.
“The Mission applauds the resilience, patient determination and commitment of the electorate to democratic consolidation throughout the electoral process. In particular, the Mission salutes the enthusiasm and commitment of the youth to contribute effectively to democratic consolidation through their active engagement in the process.
“In the same vein, the Mission applauds the professionalism of the security forces and all stakeholders involved in the management of the electoral process and salutes the great political maturity that the Nigerian citizens displayed throughout this process,” it added.
It recommended for INEC to intensify and increase the frequency of communication on developments regarding the electoral process to the general public and promptly share information in order to discourage misinformation through social media and other means, and ensure ongoing training of technical and ad hoc staff to professionally handle/resolve issues related to the use of the BVAS machines.
The Mission wants INEC to review the system for uploading real-time results; improve communication about voting, collation, and process; and increase women’s participation in the electoral process, including by encouraging champions in advocacy by “He Party Members” for enhanced and meaningful roles for “She Party Members.”
It again wants INEC to ensure continuous civic education training for their members in order to conduct peaceful elections; and to encourage their members and followers to refrain from using inflammatory utterances and acts that could incite violence in the post-election phase.
“The ECOWAS Observer Mission, through the Core Team, the Long Term Observers and the Technical Team of the ECOWAS Commission will continue to monitor post-electoral developments and recommend mitigating measures where needed,” the statement noted.
The Mission underscored the importance of the Nigerian elections for the entire ECOWAS region, the Federal Republic of Nigeria being the powerhouse of the ECOWAS region.
Accordingly, and in line with ECOWAS’ preventive diplomacy mandate, the Mission will intensify its post-electoral engagement with the candidates, the parties, INEC, and the critical political stakeholders, to facilitate the legal and peaceful resolution of any emerging disputes from the polls, it added.
The Mission expressed appreciation to the government of Nigeria for the measures taken to facilitate the deployment of ECOWAS observers for the election of February 25, 2023.
By Ernest Kofi Adu