Election: ActionAid deploys 650 observers, develops app

A civil society group, ActionAid Nigeria, has announced it has deployed no fewer than 650 observers across the country ahead the February 25 general election.

The Manager of Governance Program ActionAid Nigeria, Celestine Odo, made the announcement on Thursday at the two-day training for election observers in Abuja.

According to him, 96 election observers would benefit from the training currently held in Abuja.

Responding to questions from journalists on why the training is coming late, he said the training is timely.

He explained that the agency deliberately shifted the training to when the election was close so that the observers do not forget what they have been taught.

He further stated that the i-Observer app recently developed by AAN with support from the Ford Foundation is an innovation from the traditional checklist used for election observation.

“So if you have been following it, you will know that there is a standard checklist used for election observation but now we have inculcated this checklist into the app and went beyond that by expanding it to capture vote buying which is an emerging issue and also the aspects of insecurity violence, and more importantly logistics generally.

“So we have put up a framework on logistics to see how it will play out this time around. Recall, INEC just developed a logistics framework that is guiding this 2023 general election, so it is part of what we are also following,” he said.

Odo further stated that the training will also focus on teaching observers the backup plan for effective communication.

He added, “the training also focuses on that. We encourage them a day before the election to charge their telephones very well and we have given them tips on how to conserve their batteries. Also, those who can come with their power packs, but generally the way the App is configured, it is not something that will consume much energy.”

The Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi said election observation is a key component under the AAN project which is funded by Ford Foundation in enhancing logistics delivery and citizen participation in the Nigerian election which is called En-LOGIC.

Obi said the project seeks to engage critical stakeholders in a bid to salvage the challenges identified in the logistics deployment of election materials both sensitive and non-sensitive.

“Specifically, this intervention will seek to engage with the Independent National Electoral Commission, on the development of innovative approaches towards the early transportation of sensitised and non-sensitive election materials to polling units on election day. It will also engage to monitor the logistics deployment processes on election day.

“Within the last one year, EN-LOGIC has contributed to the improvement and strengthening of election administration and deployment processes in Nigeria.”

Obi stated that the role of building the capacity of people to observe elections has been instrumental in helping ActionAid Nigeria through her Human Rights Based Approach to achieve its goal of empowering citizens to participate in the governance process.

She said the need to support the process of promoting good governance by ensuring free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized.

Obi noted that the observers currently being trained is the contribution of AAN to the election, adding that so many CSOs are also deploying election observers.

She further acknowledged the work the group has done with the INEC in terms of logistics, saying that the group has identified logistics as a big problem.

She explained that the i-Observer app can track all the processes on election day from the opening of the polling unit, accreditation of voters, and counting of votes.