‘124 domestic, 10 international’ — INEC accredits 134 observers for Edo, Ondo guber elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has accredited 134 observers for the Edo and Ondo off-cycle governorship elections.

The elections in the two states are slated for September 21 and November 16, respectively.

In a statement on Monday, Sam Olumekun, national commissioner and chairman of the information and voter education committee, said 153 applications were received from interested organisations.

Olumekun said after a review, 134 groups, comprising 124 domestic and 10 international, met the requirements for accreditation.

He noted that 28 of the groups are gender-based, while three represent persons with disabilities, and eight are faith-based.

He added that over 100 others work in areas relevant to the functions of INEC, most of them with previous experience in election observation.

“The next step is for the accredited organisations to upload the personal details and photographs of their field observers to our dedicated portal established for that purpose,” the statement reads.

“To this end, the commission is organising a one-day training for representatives of observer groups on Wednesday 17th July 2024 at the commission’s conference room in Abuja at 10.00am.

“Access code to the portal and letters of accreditation will be given to representatives of the accredited organisations at the training venue.

“Details of the one-day training as well as the comprehensive list of all the 134 accredited groups have been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for action by the concerned organisations and for public information.”