The Southern Nigeria Election Observers and the Niger Delta Coalition for Free and Fair Elections have faulted the call for the cancellation of Akwa Ibom and Rivers States’ governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections by the European Observer Mission and other foreign election observers.
They said the call for the cancellation of the elections by these foreign observers must be ignored, adding that the call itself was an indication that the observers were overstepping their rules of engagement as observer missions.
This was contained in a statement signed by the National Coordinators for the Southern Nigeria Election Observers and the Niger Delta Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, Mr. Edet Okon and Mr. Preye Tamuno, respectively.
They accused the European Observer Missions and other foreign observer missions of not knowing the rules of elections in the country, adding that there was no way an election could be cancelled when such election had been openly declared.
They said only election petitions tribunal has the power to cancel the outcome of such elections.
The statement said if the election observers have discovered any fault, such faults or irregularities could be isolated and that they might not be enough to affect the outcome of the elections, stating further, “we have had course to observe elections outside Nigeria and we know our bounds.
“To therefore call for the cancellations of governorship elections that have been declared by the constitutionally recognised bodies is nothing but to cause unnecessary tension in the country.
“They should know that if they discover anything that is contrary to the elections, the best thing to do in line with the guidelines is for them to report to Election Management Body their observations and not cause tension in the country.
Nigeria is a sovereign body and there is a rule of engagement governing all elections.”
The groups referred the European and other foreign observer missions to the statement of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, on March 19, 2015, where the INEC Chairman read out the rules governing election observation in Nigeria.
Jega was quoted to have said, “I would like to draw your attention to one cardinal distinction that INEC makes through its guidelines for election observation. That is the distinction between election observation and election monitoring.
“According to the INEC Guidelines for Election Observation, there is a fundamental difference between the two. An election monitor is an integral part of the election management structure and has a role in the administration of the election.
“In Nigeria, only the Independent National Election Commission and its duly authorised personnel are empowered to monitor elections.
“An Observer on the other hand does not have any role in the administration of the election nor any control or oversight functions.”
