“Nigeria 2023: US institutes set standards for polls”
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Two US-based institutes, the International Republican Institute (IRI), and National Democratic Institute (NDI)m have set a template for how the Nigeria 2023 general elections should be conducted.
IRI and NDI team was made up of Senior Fellow, Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Amb Michelle Gavin; Commissioner at the Electoral Commission of South Africa, Judge Dhaya Pillay; Programmes Director of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, Ellen Dingani; IRI Director for Africa, Gregory Kearns and NDI Deputy Director for Central and West Africa, Dr Sophia Moestrup.
While speaking at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, they specifically called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to complete a survey of the internally displaced person camp for Nigeria 2023.
They urged political parties and their candidates to adhere to the peace pact signed in a bid to forestall violence.
According to them, security forces should be proactive in identifying wards and local governments prone to high risk of strategic election violence in Nigeria 2023 and focus their resources on these areas.
“INEC should complete surveys of internally displaced person camps in all states, and provide clear guidelines on the process by which IDPs, including those not living in IDP camps, will vote in the election.
“Candidates and political parties should adhere to the principles in the peace pledges facilitated by the National Peace Committee ahead of the elections, and refrain from engaging in or encouraging violence against electoral opponents.
“Political parties should also sign a second peace pledge to renew their commitment to peaceful elections and to sanctioning supporters who commit electoral offences.”
“All presidential candidates should commit publicly to accept results of credible elections while grievances arising before, during and after the elections should be channelled through the appropriate legal process.
“Security forces should proactively identify wards at high risk of strategic election violence and focus their resources on these areas,” they said.
The team said a set of experts would be deployed to monitor the exercise.
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