LONDON, CMC – Two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nationals have been included in a Commonwealth team headed by former South African president Thabo Mbeki, which will monitor the February 25 general elections in Nigeria, Africa’s largest democratic country.
Former St. Lucia government minister and Speaker Sarah Flood-Beaubrun and Ian Browne, the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer in Barbados, will join 14 other observers, including politicians, diplomats, and experts in law, human rights, gender equality, and election administration from the Commonwealth, in monitoring the elections.
As of January 2023, an estimated 93.4 million registered voters will have the right to vote for presidential and national assembly candidates in 176,846 polling units across 774 local government areas.
Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland KC, named the observer team following an invitation from Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission.
“The Commonwealth remains a committed and reliable partner in Nigeria’s continuing journey towards peaceful democratic governance. Since 1999, we have observed all six general elections in Nigeria, and the deployment of this observer group is a testament to the Commonwealth’s enduring support for promoting the culture, processes, and institutions of democracy in Nigeria,” Dominican-born Scotland said.
“By the values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter, the group’s work seeks to promote transparency, strengthen democracy and the rule of law, and protect the right of the people of Nigeria to participate in credible, transparent, and inclusive elections to shape their society.
“This month’s elections hold immense significance for Nigeria, the entire African continent, and the wider democratic world. It is, therefore, essential that all stakeholders in Nigeria reaffirm their shared commitment to ensuring a peaceful election environment conducive to the free exercise of people’s franchise and in which fundamental freedoms and rights are respected,” she added.
The Commonwealth Secretariat said that the mandate of the group “is to observe the preparations for the election, the polling, counting and the results process, and the overall electoral environment.
“The observers will assess the conduct of the process as a whole and, where appropriate, make recommendations for strengthening the electoral system in Nigeria. Before deployment to different parts of Nigeria, the group will also have briefings with the electoral authorities, political parties, law enforcement agencies, the media, and civil society groups representing women, youth, and people with disabilities,” the Secretariat added.
It said that upon completion of its assignment, the group would submit its recommendations in a report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will forward it to the Nigerian government, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the leadership of political parties taking part in the elections, and all Commonwealth governments. The report will be made public afterward.
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