The Head of the Economic Community of West African States election observation mission, John Kuffour, has commended Nigerian voters for their enthusiasm and commitment to deepening democracy in Nigeria and the region. He also said the mission would release its preliminary report on the elections on Sunday.
In a preliminary statement in Abuja on the outcome of the presidential and parliamentary elections held on Saturday across Nigeria, Mr. Kuffour noted the maturity and orderliness exhibited by the people throughout the exercise.
“Going by the orderliness exhibited by the voters, it is clear that Nigerian electorate are determined and committed to strengthening democracy in their country,” the chairman, a former Ghanaian president said.
During the exercise, Mr. Kuffour and members of the mission visited some polling stations in Abuja and environs to monitor the voting process.
He was also accompanied by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadré Ouédraogo, and other members of election technical support team.
Other places visited included the voting centres at the National Youth Service Corps camp in Kubwa, the LEA Primary School and Junior Secondary School on Airport road at Lugbe and Galadimawa, as well as the Post Office polling centre at Area 10, Garki, and Asokoro 111 near the ECOWAS Commission headquarters.
The mission noted that there was late commencement of accreditation of voters due to the late arrival of electoral officials and materials at some centres.
“The delegation observed that the voters waited patiently on the queues and even initiated the allotment of numbers to facilitate the process when it finally began,” former president Kuffour said.
He acknowledged the proactive initiative by the voters, and commended officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, who, he said, were putting in their best to cope with the large number of voters that turned out for the exercise at the centres visited.
Members also interacted with the media on the field noting that it was too early to assess the process.
His team later visited the ECOWAS election Situation Room at Niger House, in Central Area, Abuja where the technical team was receiving reports from the 250 observers deployed by the Commission in five of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to monitor the polls.
The ECOWAS Observation Mission is expected to issue its preliminary declaration on the presidential elections on Sunday at its headquarters in Abuja.
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