NIGERIA CIVIL SOCIETY SITUATION ROOM
(A Platform of CSOs working on Election Issues)
STATEMENT OF THE NIGERIA CIVIL SOCIETY SITUATION ROOM ON THE EKITI STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room) has deployed observers across the 16 Local Government Areas of Ekiti State for the Governorship elections holding on Saturday 21st June 2014.
The Situation Room is an election observatory comprising more than 60 civil society organisations working on election issues, has outlined a process of observing the Ekiti elections that includes identifying and reporting key issues of concern in every deployment made.
The issues include:
- The preparations, elections deployment and conduct of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
- The conduct of the security services involved in the elections, including the police, armed forces, state security personnel or other auxillary security forces.
- The activities and conduct of political parties, their agents and supporters.
- The conduct of voters.
- Politically generated violence
Situation Room notes the assurances by INEC that adequate preparations have been made to conduct its best elections to date and will be holding INEC to that promise. Situation Room will be meeting with election officials and observing how officials carry out their tasks. In addition, focus will be on how INEC distributes materials for the elections, accredits observers and collates results from the elections.
Situation Room will also be examining the conduct of law enforcement officials, including the way the security forces interface with the electorate. A key concern for Situation Room will be whether the activities of security officials lead to possible intimidation of voters.
We therefore urge the security forces to conduct themselves in a professional manner that will further give confidence and credibility to the electoral process.
We also urge the people of Ekiti State to come out enmasse to exercise their democratic franchise.
We also urge INEC to keep with its promise of delivering free, fair and credible elections. To this end we call on INEC to provide further details on the number of permanent voters card that has been issued to date.
This statement is issued by the underlisted partner organisations of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room:
1). Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, Abuja
2) WANGONET, Lagos
3). Partners for Electoral Reform, Abuja
4.) Proactive Gender Initiative, Abuja
5.) Spaces for Change, Lagos
6.) Enough is Enough Nigeria, Lagos
7.) Development Dynamics, Owerri
8.) Election Monitor, Akure
9.) CCIDESOR, Owerri
10).COHDAT, Owerri
11.) CDD, Abuja
12.) CRP, Abuja
13.) Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Abuja
14.) Reclaim Naija/Community Life Project, Lagos
15.) IHRHL, Port-Harcourt
16.) Stakeholders Democracy Network, Port-Harcourt
17.) Human Rights Monitor, Kaduna
18.) NEGYII, Kaduna
19.) CLEEN Foundation, Abuja
20.) CITAD, Kano
21.) CISLAC, Abuja
22.) NIGERIA FOR CHANGE, Abuja
23.) INTODEM, Makurdi
24.) ACEEDEC, Abuja
25.) Action Aid Nigeria, Abuja
26.) CCIDESOR, Owerri