African Union to deploy top poll observers for Nigeria’s elections

Anadolu | The African Union Commission (AUC) has announced that it will send a team of 90 observers to Nigeria for the upcoming elections slated on February 25.

The team will be led by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, the AUC said in a statement issued late Tuesday.

The upcoming Nigerian presidential election is set to be a landmark moment for the country, with nearly 100 million people eligible to vote for a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari, who is stepping down after two terms in office.

According to the AUC, the observers have been drawn from its various member states and include representatives from election management bodies, independent experts, civil society organizations, youth, and women, among others.

The team’s mission is to provide an accurate and impartial assessment of the electoral process, offer recommendations for the improvement of future elections, and demonstrate the union’s solidarity and support for the consolidation of democracy, peace, stability, and development in Nigeria, the statement said.

The observers’ team is expected to arrive in Nigeria ahead of the elections and be stationed across the country to monitor the electoral process. The team will be tasked with observing the opening, voting, counting, and closing of polling stations, as well as any other relevant aspects of the electoral process, it said.

The AUC has emphasized the importance of free, fair, and transparent elections in the consolidation of democracy, peace, stability, and development on the African continent.

The presence of the AUC observer team is viewed as a positive step toward ensuring a transparent and credible electoral process.