TheCable

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) says it will deploy 100 observers for the forthcoming elections in Nigeria.

Speaking on Monday at a media briefing in Abuja, Barry Andrews, chief observer of the EU-EOM, said the 100 observers would be spread across the 36 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

He added that on January 29, the mission deployed 40 persons to observe the electoral processes across states, with the team including 11 experts from different fields.

“In total, around 100 observers will observe the voting, counting, and tabulation procedures on 25 February and 11 March,” Andrews said.

“The EU EOM will issue a preliminary statement two days after each election day and will remain in Nigeria until the completion of the entire electoral process including complaints and appeals processes, and any possible second round of the presidential election.

“It is absolutely against all of the principles of our methodology that we will in any way interfere politically with the election debate that is going on. That is absolutely a matter for political parties and Nigerian citizens.

“Our job here is to assess the robustness of the election process itself, to make sure that it is inclusive to the greatest extent possible, that all technologies are as transparent and possible.

“We will not in any way make statements that could be perceived as politically interfering. And that is the methodology that has been the case for many, many years.”