The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC said it will study the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) report and recommendations on the 2019 general elections as part of its ongoing review of the last polls.
INEC said it is confident that there will be useful lessons in the report and recommendations for the Commission and all other institutions and stakeholders in preparation for future elections.
Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman gave these indications Friday in his remarks at the meeting with Chief Observer of the EU EOM to Nigeria, Maria Arena in Abuja.
Yakubu expressed delight that the EU EOM report is coming at the right time as it will feed into the ongoing review of the conduct of the 2019 general elections that would be concluded in the next two months.
“The EU has been part of Nigeria’s steady progress towards democratic consolidation since 1999. The 30 observations and recommendations of the EU EOM to the 2015 general elections were particularly useful not only in the design of some important proposals for reforming the electoral legal framework, but also in improving our electoral processes and procedures.
“One of such key recommendations was that we merge the accreditation and voting processes on election day, which was subsequently implemented during the Bayelsa governorship election of December 2015 and in all subsequent elections.
“The implementation of some of the other recommendations went a long way in enhancing our organisational and operational planning and strengthening our engagement with stakeholders”, he noted.
Earlier, Arena, the Head of EU EOM said the meeting with INEC was preparatory to the presentation of the final report of the 2019 general elections in Nigeria and recommendations to improve democracy in the country.
She said the EU has observed that Nigeria was committed to democracy, stressing that though the recommendations on the electoral process is addressed to INEC but the executive, legislature and the judiciary as well as Civil Society organisations also have a lot to do in improving the nation’s electoral system.
