The Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), Barry Andrews, has expressed that the group's mission in Nigeria is to strengthen democracy.

Mr Andrews made the statement during the governorship and State House of Assembly Elections in Nasarawa State on Saturday.

According to him, the EU EOM has been deployed in Nigeria since early January and will continue its deployment until April. The group will produce a final report containing all their conclusions and recommendations within three months after the end of the elections. Mr Andrews emphasized that they will assess the elections based on internationally acceptable criteria and Nigeria's commitment within its own legislation and international conventions.

The criteria used by the EU EOM include inclusivity, transparency, and credibility. The group will test the inclusivity of the elections by assessing whether everyone can come and cast their ballots. On transparency, the group will evaluate how the votes are gathered, collected, and tabulated. Lastly, the credibility of the overall process that takes in the entire media landscape, the judicial landscape, and the legislative landscape will be assessed.

Mr Andrews said that the EU EOM deployed more than 60 people, and it is important that both international and domestic monitors move around the polling units. This will encourage the methodology that is supposed to be followed, reduce attempts at fraud, and increase the transparency of the overall process.

He further stated that the preliminary report of their observations would be produced within the next 48 hours. The report would be honest and robust, and he hoped it would be seen as constructive partnership with the authorities in Nigeria and on behalf of the people of Nigeria.

According to Mr Andrews, in the small sample of four polling units he has visited, the polling units opened on time, the technology worked, and the process was peaceful. However, he noted that it would be impossible to draw any valuable conclusions from those small samples.

In conclusion, the EU EOM is committed to strengthening democracy in Nigeria and being a valuable partner to those who share that commitment. The group will continue to assess the elections based on internationally acceptable criteria and produce a final report with recommendations within three months after the end of the elections. Photo by Kabusa16, Wikimedia commons.