AU observers set to monitor Nigeria’s general elections

News Agency Of Nigeria 22:55 - 15 February 2019

A credible election free of violence is the interest of many as balloters prepare to head down to polling stations . [Twitter/INEC Nigeria].

NigeriaThe African Union (AU) on Friday says its Electoral Observation Mission (AU-EOM) is set for Nigerias Feb. 16 and March 2 general elections, comprising 50 members.

The observer mission, led by former Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, held its final round of meetings with stakeholdersin the Nigerian general elections, scheduled to take place on Saturday.

Since the missions deployment, Desalegn has been receiving updates from various stakeholders including political parties, the electoral commission, civil society, government officials and other observer groups, an AU said in a statement.

It added that the 50-member AU delegation included AU Commissioner for Political Affairs Minata Samate Cessouma and other high-profile personalities.

The deployment of the delegation followed an invitation by the Nigerian Government and the West African countrys electoral commission.

The observer mission is part of the AUs mandate and commitment to support credible, transparent and inclusive electoral processes across the continent, the AU noted.

The Independent National Electoral Commission said in January that over 84 million Nigerians registered to vote in the general elections, representing about 42 per cent of the countrys population.