APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The EU Observer Mission in the February 25 general elections in Nigeria has decried
the discrimination against women in elective and appointed positions as well as impunity regarding electoral offences in Nigeria.
Presenting the final report of its findings during the presidential, parliamentary and governorship elections in February and March in Abuja on Tuesday, the Chief Observer of the Mission, Mr Barry Andrews, stressed the need for the protection of media practitioners, while listing six areas of improvement in Nigeria’s electoral process moving forward.
Some of the key areas listed by the Mission included ambiguities in the law, the establishment of a publicly accountable process for the selection of the members of the electoral body and ensuring real-time publication of and access to election results.
According to Andrews, the elections exposed enduring systemic weaknesses and therefore signaled a need for further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness and accountability.
He expressed the need for political will to achieve improved democratic practices in Nigeria and called for inclusive dialogue between all stakeholders on electoral reforms.
Meanwhile, the Mission had on Monday presented its final report on the 2023 general elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
GIK/APA