Some observers for 2019 elections partisan — INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said its observation of some of the accredited observers for the 2019 general elections revealed that some of them were partisan. The Chairperson of INEC’s Election Observation and Party Monitoring Committee, Prof. Antonia Simbine, stated this yesterday at the public presentation and dissemination of compendium of election observation […]
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said its observation of some of the accredited observers for the 2019 general elections revealed that some of them were partisan.
The Chairperson of INEC’s Election Observation and Party Monitoring Committee, Prof. Antonia Simbine, stated this yesterday at the public presentation and dissemination of compendium of election observation reports and guidelines for electoral reforms by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) with support from MacArthur Foundation.
She said the electoral commission observed a seeming infiltration of observers’ activities by politician due in part to the free movement enjoyed by observers on the election days, adding that “they (some of the observers) exhibited their partisanship by their partisan conduct at polling stations and at collation centres.”
“This phenomenon is a source of concern to the commission and should be worrisome for many credible observer groups,” she said, adding that the inability of some accredited observers to fund their observation activities partly contributed to that worrisome scenario.
She, however, acknowledged that INEC has started implementing some of the recommendations put forward by the credible observer groups and other stakeholders in subsequent stand-alone governorship, re-run and by-elections.
On his part, the Executive Director of PLAC, Clement Nwankwo, said the compendium of recommendations that was presented to the public yesterday will be key in future elections starting with the Edo and Ondo states off-season governorship elections.
Daily Trust reports that the compendium contained nine streamlined recommendations for the National Assembly, including the review and resubmission of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2018 to the president for assent and the need to fast-track the passing of the Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal Bill.