2023: 80 Nigerians in Daispora to arrive for election monitoring
…21 advance party already on ground
No fewer than 80 Nigerians in diaspora will be arriving the country to observe the 2023 general elections.
Already, a 21 member advanced party has arrived the country.
Nigerians will be going to the polls in February and March 2023 for the National and States elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC had fixed 25 February for the presodential and National Assembly elections, while the governorahip and States Assembly elections scheduled for 11March.
Diasporans are not allowed to vote in the general elections, as the country is yet to enact the law to support that.
Briefing newsmen on their activities, the diasporans under the umbrella body of All Nigerian Nationals In Diaspora ANNID and Nigerian-American Public Affairs Committee, NAPAC said since the law did not permit them to be directly involved in the election, they can also play a role in ensuring that the electoral process is free, fair and credible.
The observer status, Dr. Peter Mozie, ANNID Global Chairman said it would allow Nigerians in diaspora contribute to the process indirectly.
Mozie revealed that beyond playing an observer role, the group would be involved in training of other observers to be deployed in the general elections.
He said, “I think it is very clear. But this might very well be the most consequential election in the history of this country. “So because As we look at the number of people out there that have shown interest in the outcome of this election, and also the statements that have been made by the international community, as to their expectations of this election, relative to what they have seen, that the people are clamouring for.
“I mean, there has never been any time that I can remember in the history of this country that this kind of energy has been shown by the average Nigerian as to their interest in who governs them.
“And that is one and it is exceptionally interesting in helping this process, because we believe that the people have said, by their actions, that they are very interested in who rules them. So yes, this is not going to be business as usual, simply because it has been understood by everybody.”
He said since arriving in the country over the weekend, the advanced party had been interfacing with some stakeholders and would be carrying
” We’re going to deploy as usual our trained personnel to the 36 States of the Federation.
“We are also committed to training as we always have always done in the past all INEC accredited election observers.”
He stressed that the group which has been involved in election monitoring in Nigeroa since 2015 is non-partisan.
“We are non-partisan we don’t support any political party. So it doesn’t matter to us who wins the elections. “We all want to see free, fair and credible elections. So one of the things that we do is that we make sure you that all the parties receive equal attention from us.’
