"In the lead-up to the 2023 general elections, Nigerian citizens demonstrated a clear commitment to the democratic process. That said, the election exposed enduring systemic weaknesses and therefore signal a need for further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability"-said Chief Observer Barry Andrews, Member of the European Parliament. Photo: Google.
The European Union Observers who monitored Nigeria's 2023 elections have confirmed what we all know. According to the findings of EU-EOM observers, election day was marked by late deployment and opening while polling procedures were not always followed. Polling staff struggled to complete result forms, which were not posted publicly in most polling units observed. The introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) were perceived as an important step to ensure the integrity and credibility of the elections. However, uploading of the results using the BVAS did not work as expected and presidential election result forms started to appear on the portal very late on election day, raising concerns.
The EU-EOM concluded that "shortcomings in law and electoral administration hindered the conduct of well-run and inclusive elections and damaged trust in INEC". The EU-EOM is offering 23 recommendations for consideration by the Nigerian authorities
Click on this link to read the full report: EU-EOM Nigeria 2023Final Report
