The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has opened an invitation for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) interested in observing the February rerun and by-election. Interested groups are encouraged to apply via an online portal before the deadline on January 17, according to a notice issued by Mrs. Hauwa Habib, the acting Director of Electoral Party Monitoring (EPM) at INEC in Abuja.
Organisations can submit their applications through the online portal at http://observergroups.inecnigeria.org. Habib emphasized that completing the prescribed application form (EC14A(l)) is the only accepted means of application. The notice specifies that observer groups should provide essential information such as legal status (registration with CAC), evidence of registration with the Civil Society Desk at INEC-Headquarters, and acknowledgment of the submission of reports of previous election observations.
Any falsification of documents in the submissions will result in automatic disqualification and potential prosecution, warned Habib. The list of successful observer groups approved for accreditation will be published on the commission’s website and the EPM observer’s Whatsapp platform.
The by-elections and rerun elections are scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 3, across two Senatorial Districts, four Federal Constituencies, and three State Constituencies in nine states of the Federation. These elections are a result of directions from various election petition appeal tribunals, stemming from the 2023 general elections, with 35 constituencies currently affected by the court-ordered elections. Habib noted that while three constituencies cover entire areas, others involve only a few polling units.
Quest: Cris-Edesiri Odjomah