INEC ‘got more than 6,000 applications to monitor election’

The Independent National Electoral Commission received more than 6,000 requests from different civil society organisations and groups to monitor the 2015 general election, an official told TheCable on Friday.

The official disclosed, however, that civil society organisations and groups with political affiliations were not accredited as observers of the elections.

“It was a painstaking process which involved the Corporate Affairs Commission. Those groups with political affiliations were delisted,” he said.

“And civil society organisations with politicians as trustees or members were also removed from the list of observers of the elections. It was a thorough process. The idea was to ensure that no group with political links was allowed to monitor the elections.”

From all the applications it received, INEC accredited 89 local and international groups to observe the elections, scheduled for February 14 and 28.

Some of the accredited local observers were the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Centre for Strategic Conflict Management, Global Agenda for Total Emancipation, Police Service Commission, Election Monitor, Change Managers International Network, Institute For Peace And Conflict Resolution, Cleen Foundation, and African Peace Union.

Foreign missions such as United States of America Embassy, Japan Embassy, Switzerland Embassy, and embassies of France, Canada and Ireland, West African Network Of Election Observers, African Peace Foundation were also accredited.

According to the electoral body, the groups were accredited sequel to their compliance with the requirements and guidelines issued by the commission.

The commission warned that any observer groups other than those accredited by it, found in the states in the course of the elections, would be handed over to the law enforcement agencies.

It also warned that accredited field observers found in states other than where they were posted would equally be sanctioned.