Why CSOs should deploy observers to political party primaries – INEC

Ahead of the upcoming Edo and Ondo Gubernatorial on Saturday 21st September 2024 , the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has urged Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, to deploy observers to monitor political party primaries.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who gave the recommendation during the first quarterly consultative meeting with civil society organisations, CSOs, for 2024 in Abuja, on Wednesday, also emphasized the critical role of CSOs in ensuring that party primaries are conducted in accordance with democratic principles.

According to him with primaries serving as the foundation for the selection of candidates, their integrity is paramount in guaranteeing the credibility of the electoral process.

Yakubu highlighted the importance of observers in promoting inclusivity and accountability within political parties. By monitoring primaries, CSOs can help identify and address any irregularities, thus fostering a level playing field for all candidates, particularly marginalized groups such as women, youths, and Persons with Disability (PwD).

He disclosed that so far, 16 political parties have indicated interest in participating in the Ondo State election.

The INEC Chairman reassured the CSOs that the commission will continue to partner with them, even as he appreciated the observations and recommendations contained in their election observation reports.

Yakubu added that some of the reforms and innovations introduced by the commission over the years draw from observation reports of the CSOs.

He, however, noted that some accredited observers are yet to submit reports on the general election, supplementary elections, off-cycle elections, bye-elections and re-run elections.

“May I therefore seize this opportunity to remind those that are yet to submit their observation reports that it is mandatory to do so being one of the conditions for eligibility to observe future elections. Going forward, the Commission will operate strictly on the policy of “No Observation Report, No Accreditation,” he warned.

Speaking on the Edo State election, he said as Wednesday morning, eight parties had uploaded the list and personal particulars of their candidates to INEC’s dedicated web portal.
He stated that the commission expects the other parties will do so before the deadline of 6pm on 24th March 2024 when the portal automatically shuts down.

“Thereafter, the Commission will publish the personal particulars of the candidates (Form EC9) on 31st March 2024 for public scrutiny as required by law,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of all CSOs present, the Executive Director of Sustainable Gender Action Initiative, Mufuliat Fijabi, stressed the importance of an inclusive election which reflects representation of all Nigerians especially women.

Fijabi also noted the importance of providing feedback by way of electoral reports to have a robust electoral process in the country.