Presidential Poll-Nigeria - The National Elections Incidents Centre (NEIC), which is supported by three domestic election observation partners (DEO partners): The Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has pledged to deploy about three thousand, one hundred observers to the six geo-political zones in the country to monitor the April 16, 2011 presidential election. NEIC in a statement jointly signed by Olasupa Ojo and Peter Esele urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that its officials and voting materials arrive at polling stations on time through the provision of means of transportation, and that the accreditation process begins as scheduled

The group noted that all problems related to voter register and identification should be resolved and that all voters with proper identification be allowed to vote.

It added that NEIC would work towards free, fair and credible 2011 general elections using text messages from observers stationed at polling units throughout the country to generate reports on incidents that could affect a smooth election process in areas that they occurred.

'The NEIC is collecting and reporting only on problems with the electoral process. Its role is not to judge the overall quality of the elections, but to highlight problematic areas and trends to inform the public and electoral officials so that the problems can be addressed.

'Based on our findings as detailed, the NEIC in the course of the April 9 2011 elections received a total of 2,522 reports from trained observers as well as members of the public. Of this figure, a total of 425 reports represented actual incidents, most of which focused on late arrival of INEC officials and voting materials. Despite these challenges, the overwhelming number of reports from the field, from both observers and members of the public, indicate that the process was smooth and peaceful in their polling stations.

'A total of 128 reports on accreditation issues were sent to the NEIC, while intimidation and violence represented 43 reports, polling station issues represented 175 reports and voting issues represented a total of 79 reports.

'The majority of incidents reported by observers related to late arrival of INEC officials and voting materials. Despite these pockets of incidents including late arrival of INEC officials and materials, inducement of INEC Officials and electorates, absence of voters register and or wrong voters register at some polling units that were reported, the overwhelming report from the field from both observers and members of the public amounting to 2,096 indicate that the process was smooth and peaceful in their polling stations.

'The NEIC alerted relevant officials of critical incidents reported by observers in the field. Examples of incidents brought to the notice of officials include the case of a suspicious vehicle parked near a polling station in Enugu that was feared to contain explosives.

'The NEIC will for the next two rounds of elections be deploying a total of 3,100 observers in the six geo-political zones of the country. This figure represents an additional 400 to be deployed in four states in the North-West and two in the North-East to provide wider coverage of the elections.

'In addition to the trained observers to be deployed to observe the elections, the NEIC makes provisions for members of the public to send in incident reports on the day of the elections so they can contribute to the process of a free, fair and credible election in Nigeria.'

Moses John

Leadership/15/04/2011