Nigeria (Commonwealth Union)_ Former South African President Thabo Mbeki has been appointed as the head of the Commonwealth election observers team to Nigeria, which will undertake the continent’s largest democratic exercise during Nigeria’s general elections on February 25, 2023. The Commonwealth Observer Group was established by Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland KC in response to a request from Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission. As of January 2023, around 93.4 million registered voters will be able to vote for presidential and national assembly candidates in 176,846 polling stations throughout 774 local government areas.
While declaring the observers group, the Commonwealth Secretary-General stated, “The Commonwealth remains a committed and reliable partner in Nigeria’s continuing journey towards peaceful democratic governance. Since 1999, we have observed all six general elections in Nigeria, and the deployment of this observer group is a testament to the Commonwealth’s enduring support for the promotion of the culture, processes, and institutions of democracy in Nigeria”. She also thanked President Mbeki for accepting her offer to be the head of the group and all the observers for volunteering to carry out this crucial mission on behalf of the Commonwealth.
The Secretary-General added, “In accordance with the values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter, the work of the group seeks to promote transparency, strengthen democracy and the rule of law, and protect the right of the people of Nigeria to participate in credible, transparent, and inclusive elections to shape their society”. She further added, “This month’s elections hold immense significance, not just for Nigeria, but for the entire African continent and the wider democratic world. It is, therefore, essential that all stakeholders in Nigeria reaffirm their shared commitment to ensuring a peaceful election environment that is conducive to the free exercise of people’s franchise and in which fundamental freedoms and rights are respected.”
The team, which is independent and unbiased, is tasked with observing election preparations, the voting, counting, and result processes, as well as the general electoral atmosphere. The observers will evaluate the conduct of the entire process and, if necessary, provide suggestions for upgrading Nigeria’s electoral system. The group will hold meetings with election officials, political parties, law enforcement agencies, the media, and civil society groups representing women, youth, and individuals with disabilities, prior to their deployment in various regions of Nigeria. Following the completion of the project, the team will submit its suggestions in a report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will then distribute it to the government of Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the leadership of political parties participating in the elections, and other Commonwealth states. The report will finally be made public.
The observer group will stay in Nigeria from February 18 to March 2, 2023. Additionally, the group will be assisted by a team of Commonwealth Secretariat employees led by Joshua Setipa, Senior Director of the Strategy, Portfolio, Partnerships, and Digital Division. The Commonwealth Observer Group is made of sixteen distinguished individuals chosen from the Commonwealth member nations, including politicians, diplomats, legal, human rights, gender equality, and election administration specialists. The details of the entire team are mentioned below. The members of the Commonwealth Observer Group are listed below in alphabetical order by nation.
- Thabo Mbeki, former South African President, is the Chairman of the Board.
- Ian Browne, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer at Electoral and Boundaries Department, from Barbados.
- Honorable Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, former Foreign Minister, from Botswana.
- Dr Andrew Knight, Distinguished Professor, Fulbright Scholar, and Terrorism and Security Expert, from Canada.
- Tara Chetty, Human rights and gender specialist, from Fiji.
- Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director at the Institute for Democratic Governance, from Ghana
- Dr. Mohamed Chambas, former United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, from Ghana.
- Honorable Amina Mohamed, former Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage, and Culture and former Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, from Kenya.
- Linda Bonyo, Legal and data analytics specialist, from Kenya.
- Seabata Motsamai, Chairperson, Lesotho Council of Non-Governmental Organizations, from Lesotho.
- Rt. Hon. Martin Ngoga, Former Speaker at East African Legislative Assembly, from Rwanda.
- Honorable Sarah Flood-Beaubrun, former House Assembly Speaker, Former Minister for Women Affairs, and Former Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, from Saint Lucia.
- Dr. Gregory Mills, Director at the Brenthurst Foundation, from South Africa.
- Josephine Karungi, Journalist, from Uganda.
- Dr. Alex Vines, Director of the Africa Programme at the Chatham House, from the United Kingdom.
- Kryticous Nshindano, former Chief Electoral Officer of the Zambian Electoral Commission, from Zambia.
