Report on 2019 elections to be submitted to Commonwealth Scribe – Ex Tanzania President



The Commonwealth Election Observer Mission to Nigeria has said it would issue an interim report on the preliminary findings on the 18th of February about the 2019 electoral process.

A statement on Monday by leader of the Commonwealth Observer Mission to Nigeria, Dr Jakaya Kikwete, said “a final report will be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, and thereafter shared with the Government of Nigeria, INEC, political parties, Commonwealth governments, then made public.” 
The statement noted, “The next few days will be especially critical for the nation, and we hope that our Group’s presence will confirm the unwavering solidarity of the Commonwealth with the People of Nigeria as they go into these elections.” 
Kikwete, therefore, encouraged all citizens of Nigeria to play their part in ensuring peaceful and credible elections this weekend.

He said the Commonwealth has had a long tradition of supporting the nation’s democratic development through election observation over the past 20 years.
“In fact, this will be the sixth time a Commonwealth Observer Group will be observing elections in Nigeria, since 1999. 
“Our Group was constituted following an invitation from the Independent National Election Commission, drawing together 18 eminent persons from across the different regions of the Commonwealth, including Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and the Pacific. 
“We come in our own individual capacities, bringing a wide range of expertise in the areas of election administration, political development, law, human rights, civil society, gender, youth, as well as media.
“As a group, we are here to observe the organisation and conduct of the election process as a whole, and will form an impartial and independent assessment of its credibility. 
“The Commonwealth Observer Group will consider the pre-election period, polling day itself, as well as the post-election period. Our main task is to assess whether the elections have been conducted according to the national, regional and international standards to which Nigeria has committed itself, including its own laws.
“Most of our members arrived on 8th of February, following an advance group of observers who have been in Nigeria since the 29th of January.
“On Election Day, we will observe the opening, voting, closing, counting and the results management processes.”

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