NILDS deploys 369 observers for elections

The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) said it had deployed 369 observers nationwide to monitor today’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

This was made known yesterday during a joint press conference organised by the NILDS and Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) in Abuja.

The NILDS Director-General, Professor Abubakar Suleiman, who was represented by the Director, Democracy and Governance, Prof Adewale Aderemi, said there would be a political party command centre where all the 369 observers would be sending in their findings from the field.

He said, “With regard to the 2023 elections, the NILDS will be deploying 369 observers nationwide. We have about 9 in each state. We will have three in each of the three senatorial districts. We have deployed roughly 50 observers for elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“We will be operating a command centre with other stakeholders. We will be taking real time with field reports from these 369 observers.

“We will analyse them with particular attention to involvement of women, youths, people living with disabilities; whether they have been included into the process by the 18 political parties.

“In the studio here, there are going to be veterans; very eminent, qualified and distinguished analysts. That panel has also been carefully selected; and we have women, youths and other stakeholders.”

Fielding questions from newsmen, the WFD country director, Dr Adewale Olorunmola, said vote-buying should be discouraged, stressing that it portends danger to democracy and good governance.