2023 elections: We’ll focus on voter education and campaign finances, says TMG

The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), an election observation coalition, has identified key areas it will focus on before and after the 2023 general election in order to strengthen the country’s electoral process.

In a statement on Tuesday, Auwal Rafsanjani, TMG chairman, said the group would focus on voter education, campaign finance issues and interfacing with key electoral stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Rafsanjani said his organisation is working to strengthen the country’s democracy, “especially at a time when citizen’s faith in democracy appears to be declining as a result of failure of the political elite to meet the expectations of Nigerians across various strata of the society”.

“The strategy planning meeting brought together TMG leaders and members from the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, past leaders, and former members of staff of the organization, to discuss the legacies, successes and challenges recorded by the coalition in recent years,” he said.

“Those in attendance at the meeting were unanimous in concluding that despite the challenges and setbacks encountered by the coalition in recent years, it remained relevant in the Nigerian civic space, especially with the critical 2023 general elections fast approaching.

“They therefore identified short and long term strategies for relaunching the coalition to enable it to re-enact its award-winning performance in election observation during previous election cycles in Nigeria.

“Some of the proposed areas of work identified by the coalition include; voter education in the pre-election period, especially around the recently amended electoral act, 2022, linking election observation to good governance, campaign finance issues as well as interfacing with key electoral stakeholders, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with the goal of enhancing the credibility of the process.

“At the close of the meeting, the members endorsed the plan by the TMG leadership to build strategic partnership with local and international organizations, which share in the coalition’s stated goal of strengthening Nigeria’s democracy, while ensuring the democratic process delivers good governance.”