Monday, March 30, 2015
AU, ECOWAS Say Elections Free, Fair
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Election Observation Missions of the African Union, AU and the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS have expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the Nigerian Presidential and the National Assembly elections.
The bodies called on the Presidential candidates to accept the outcome of the result.
At a joint press briefing in Abuja, the Missions said the general election met the criteria of being free and transparent.
ECOWAS Director of Political Affairs, Dr Remi Ajibewa while presenting his team's preliminary declaration said "despite the pockets of incidents and logistical challenges, the ECOWAS Observation Mission is persuaded that the general election of March 28, 2015 meets the criteria of being free and transparent".
He said the team was impressed by the level of disciplines showed by the electorates.
"It also commends the enthusiasm, maturity, patience and sense of civic responsibility demonstrated by the electorate and hopes that the same spirit of respect for order and discipline will characterise the rest of the electoral process".
The African Union Election Observer Mission led by former President of Liberia, Amos Sawyer said that the Mission was encouraging all political parties which might have grievances to resort to legal channels that are available for such purposes.
He said the AU team visited 319 polling units and that "the outcome of the elections showed that 100% of the PVCs were authenticated while 59% did not authenticate the fingerprints.
Pointing out other challenges, Dr Ajibewa said, ECOWAS Observers also noted that Electoral materials and INEC officials arrived late in many polling stations across the country leading to a delay in accreditation and voting processes.
"As a result, patience and discipline earlier displayed by voters were over-stretched leading to tension and disorderliness in some polling stations he explained.
ECOWAS Mission further said "Cases of attempt to snatch ballot papers were reported in some polling stations leading to instances of uproar, shootings and sporadic violence in the affected polling stations".
Acknowledging these short falls, "INEC issued a Communique authorizing manual accreditation of voters in the affected polling units and extended polling by one day in the instances where accreditation was suspended", he concluded.
ECOWAS however applauded the efforts of INEC towards ensuring peaceful organization and conduct of polls and the gains made by the Nigerian Military in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency
The bodies called on the Presidential candidates to accept the outcome of the result.
At a joint press briefing in Abuja, the Missions said the general election met the criteria of being free and transparent.
ECOWAS Director of Political Affairs, Dr Remi Ajibewa while presenting his team's preliminary declaration said "despite the pockets of incidents and logistical challenges, the ECOWAS Observation Mission is persuaded that the general election of March 28, 2015 meets the criteria of being free and transparent".
He said the team was impressed by the level of disciplines showed by the electorates.
"It also commends the enthusiasm, maturity, patience and sense of civic responsibility demonstrated by the electorate and hopes that the same spirit of respect for order and discipline will characterise the rest of the electoral process".
The African Union Election Observer Mission led by former President of Liberia, Amos Sawyer said that the Mission was encouraging all political parties which might have grievances to resort to legal channels that are available for such purposes.
He said the AU team visited 319 polling units and that "the outcome of the elections showed that 100% of the PVCs were authenticated while 59% did not authenticate the fingerprints.
Pointing out other challenges, Dr Ajibewa said, ECOWAS Observers also noted that Electoral materials and INEC officials arrived late in many polling stations across the country leading to a delay in accreditation and voting processes.
"As a result, patience and discipline earlier displayed by voters were over-stretched leading to tension and disorderliness in some polling stations he explained.
ECOWAS Mission further said "Cases of attempt to snatch ballot papers were reported in some polling stations leading to instances of uproar, shootings and sporadic violence in the affected polling stations".
Acknowledging these short falls, "INEC issued a Communique authorizing manual accreditation of voters in the affected polling units and extended polling by one day in the instances where accreditation was suspended", he concluded.
ECOWAS however applauded the efforts of INEC towards ensuring peaceful organization and conduct of polls and the gains made by the Nigerian Military in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency
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