The International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute are set to field the third joint delegation to Nigeria to assess preparations for the upcoming national elections in early 2019.
According to a press release signed by Nkiru Okoro, the delegation members include Lewis Lucke, Former Ambassador to the Kingdom of Swaziland, US Department of State (USA); Dickson Omondi, Kenya Resident Country Director, NDI (Kenya), Linda Thomas-Greenfield (lead delegate), Former Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, US Department of State (USA); and John Tomaszewski, Africa Director, IRI (USA).
“With just nine weeks until Nigeria’s presidential and legislative elections, the international community is looking closely at the prospects for free, fair, and credible elections in a country that can greatly influence the democratic trajectory of sub-Saharan Africa,” said Thomas-Greenfield.
During the mission, the delegation will meet with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to assess election preparations and explore ways of fostering peaceful and credible polls in the country. The mission will present its findings at a press conference in Abuja on December 19, 2018.
IRI and NDI conducted its first pre-election assessment in July 2018 and its second pre-election assessment in September 2018, and will jointly deploy international observers to the February 2019 presidential and legislative elections and the March 2019 gubernatorial and state assembly polls.
IRI and NDI have organized more than 200 international election observation missions around the globe, earning a reputation for impartiality and professionalism. The IRI-NDI mission to Nigeria will conduct its activities in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct adopted by the United Nations in 2005 and will base its findings and recommendations on Nigerian laws and international standards for elections. All activities will be conducted on a strictly nonpartisan basis and without interfering in the election process.
