2023 Polls: 70 percent of observer groups yet to submit report – INEC

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmoud Yakubu stated this while delivering his welcome address at the ongoing post election review with civil society organizations and commended them for their enormous support that led to the conduct of the general election. He further urged accredited international and domestic observers to submit their reports of the 2023 General election, four months since the conclusion of the exercise. This according to him, will aid the commission to improve future conducts of election.

He dismissed the insinuations that huge sums of money were received from foreign donors for the conduct of the election, saying that all supports were non monetary and indirect.

He words: “On this note, it is appropriate for the Commission to express its appreciation to civil society organisations and development partners for their enormous support to the Commission during the 2023 General Election. This came in the form of technical advice, civic and voter education, organisation of meetings and capacity-building workshops, as well as the publication of documents.

“However, it is necessary to seize this opportunity to correct the impression in some sections of the public that the Commission received huge sums of money from development partners for the election. On the contrary, and for the avoidance of doubt, the Commission did not receive any direct funding or cash support from international development partners. Rather, their support was totally indirect through civil society organisations and implementing partners working on elections. Indeed, it has been a longstanding policy of the present Commission not to receive direct funding and cash transfers from sources other than the Federal Government of Nigeria. We hope that we shall continue to have this type of productive partnership with civil society and development partners in the future.

“It is in furtherance of this partnership that the Commission accredits observers because the feedback we receive, and their actionable recommendations have been very helpful to the electoral process. For the 2023 General Election, the Commission received 538 requests (504 domestic and 34 foreign) for accreditation as observers. After a thorough evaluation of the requests, only 228 groups (190 domestic and 38 foreign) met the requirements for accreditation. However, so far, only 67 observer groups (62 domestic and five foreign) have so far submitted their observation reports which represents just about 30% of the accredited groups for the election. We urge all accredited observer groups that are yet to submit their reports to do so in earnest.

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Reacting on behalf of civil society groups, the executive director, Centre for Transparency Advocacy, Faith Nwadishi commended the electoral umpire for acknowledging some flaws despite the progress made during the general election. She urged the commission to provide answer to the widely reported failure of the INEC result portal, IREV during the presidential poll.

She said: “Let me begin by saying that the chairman in his speech acknowledged that even though we had a lot of progress there were lapses. And it has always been the tradition of the commission to engage civil society groups. We acknowledge the fact that technology played a great role in 2023 general election and we also acknowledged that some of the lapses experienced in the 2023 election were as a result of technology”

She challenged all civil society groups who are yet to submit their reports to comply to engender the cordial relationship between them and INEC.

“And also to note that out of 228 accredited civil society groups only 67 turn in their reports. This is not very good, I will encourage my colleagues to put in the same efforts they put in for application to ensure they do the same to submit their reports. Because over the years I have noticed that the recommendations we put in our reports are taken on by INEC. This has brought some of the reforms we have seen in our electoral process. So, 30 percent of 228 accredited observer groups that have submitted their reports several months after the election is not a good outing for us. I will appeal to us in line with the collaboration we have with INEC to send in our report” she said.

Nwadishi equally commended the prosecution of the suspended Adamawa, INEC commissioner, she insisted that other indicted staff should be prosecuted.

“More importantly in your speech you acknowledged and indicted some INEC staff in undermining the election and we are looking forward to the prosecution of this INEC staff that have been indicted. Also, we know that the suspended INEC commissioner of Adamawa state is currently under prosecution which is a positive development.

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“I know sir that in your statement you mentioned that the issue of IREV is still in court and it’s something you want to suspend comment on but within the purvey of what will not affect what is in court we hope you can throw light on while IREV couldn’t do what it was supposed to do especially in the presidential election” she added.