*EU Observer Mission acknowledges large turnout at some polling units
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, and the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, have expressed confidence in the electoral process, noting that voting was peaceful and orderly in some of the polling units visited in Abuja yesterday.
Leonard made the remarks in an interview with reporters when she visited the Tudun Wada Secondary School polling units in Zone 4 Abuja, where there was a large turnout of voters.
She said: “It is a beautiful sunny day, and the voters have come out; they are quite cheerful, and everybody is happy to be here and casting their votes. It is wonderful to see such joy and calm in the election place, and this is what we hope for across Nigeria today.”
She said further that the US would comment after the elections, adding that the world is watching the Nigerian elections because of their importance.
“This election has captured the world’s attention and fascination. Elections in Nigeria matter. A free and fair election in Nigeria means a freer and fairer world. So, it is a great day for Nigeria,” she said.
Also speaking to journalists, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Laing, said she has so far witnessed a pretty orderly and secure process, adding that many people seemed pretty happy with how the elections were being conducted.
She said: “I have spoken to party agents who have confidence as well as the EFCC, and so far, so good.”
She noted the UK team on the ground had reports of concerns about how early polling units’ materials arrived in some places. Still, the message is orderly elections were conducted peacefully, with people feeling they could exercise their democratic rights, which is a piece of excellent news.
“From the atmosphere today, there has been a huge sense of excitement; nevertheless, it is a very early election, and we still have many hours to go. So, my message to voters and political parties is to continue to operate peacefully and be patient. It is taking a bit of time for registration to take place. But if you are concerned in any way, make sure to take through the legal process and don’t resort to violence, the peace accord has been signed, and everyone must show commitment to the peace accord,” she said.
Regarding vote buying, the British envoy noted no incidents of vote buying in the polling units her team visited. She, therefore, urged Nigerians to vote for anyone they wanted without being intimidated.
Also reacting to the ongoing elections, President of the International Republican Institute (IRI), Daniel Twining, said although his organisation has covered elections in Nigeria since 1999, the 2023 elections appear pretty different because of the unpredictable nature.
He said: “We have covered every Nigerian national election since 1999. There is so much more technology now, and Nigeria is obviously a much bigger and younger country. We know this is an important election without an incumbent running, with three major party candidates instead of two, and the outcome is not known in advance, which is good. So, we are all ready to be surprised.”
Similarly, the EU Observer Mission to the 2023 general election has acknowledged the large turnout of voters in some polling units in Abuja.
EU Chief Observer, Barry Andrews, speaking at the Government Secondary School Zone 4 in Abuja, which has three polling units where the polls opened pretty on time, said the election day marks an important milestone in the democratic life of a country.
He told journalists: Today is crucial not just for Nigeria, but for the region and the continent more generally. Our mission has been deployed here since early January. So today is important, but it’s also a step in the process we’ve been examining over the last two months. And we will stay here until early April to complete our assessment of the overall election process here in Nigeria.
“We have observers across the country, more than 100 observers across the country. Our long-term observers have been deployed since late January, and short-term observers during this week are at polling units throughout the country. And we work with the other election observation missions from the African Union from ECOWAS and the Commonwealth Foundation.
“And on Monday, we will publish a preliminary statement containing our initial assessment of the election process regarding all of the issues that have arisen. We will produce a final report containing our conclusions and recommendations within three months after the election.
“So we’re here for the long term. And our main goal today is to ensure that there is a peaceful election here that people have access to and can exercise their vote.
“We have taken note of the high attendance here this morning. We will, of course, gather information from across the country. So we don’t make observations until Monday.
“But we will gather all that information and try to see if there are patterns if certain things happen that are merely isolated and therefore draw conclusions in due course. We do this against a methodology we have used for many years in many countries.”
He added that the EU Mission is dedicated to non-interference in the political process to complete independence and impartiality, adding that this has served the mission well and deepened people’s trust in this mission.
He said: “We’re here to examine the election based on the criteria that Nigeria has set. And so we hope that that has created a bond of trust and ensured that the report we finally produced will be of some value to the people dedicated to deepening democracy in Nigeria.”
