By: Publisher.
The National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee of the INEC, Festus Okoye, stated during an interview with Arise News that the European Union task was simply that of an observer and not to score and evaluate INEC on the 2023 General Elections.
Okoye’s assertion is coming on the heels of European Union’s final report on the outcome of the General Elections, thus: ‘the elections demonstrated Nigerians’ commitment to democracy, they also highlighted the need for legislative and administrative changes to improve openness, inclusivity, and accountability.’
In Festus Okoye’s word: “The Commission invited over 33 international organizations to observe this election, and we also accredited over 163 domestic election observers to observe the election and then report on their observations and give recommendations to improve our process.
Now, when we invited the European Union and other international groups and organizations, we did not give them a template or a marking scheme.
“We invited them to come and observe our elections, and we never asked them to give us a pass mark. We asked them to observe and then report on their observations, and if they make recommendations, we are going to look into them, and if there are some that are actionable with administrative flavor, we are going to implement them.
“So the report was formally presented to the Chairman of the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who commended the EU for coming to observe our elections and for being consistent in observing our elections,” he concluded.
