As a result of the current violence in the North-eastern part of Nigeria, the European Union yesterday affirmed that it will not deploy election observers to the area.
Ambassador Santiago Fisas, the Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observer Mission in Nigeria, disclosed this during a courtesy call by members of the mission to the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
He noted that the EU Election Observer Mission have already started their assignment in the country to monitor election, saying they have been in the country since November last year in which the body monitored political parties’ primaries.
Fisas further said that over 90 observers were spread across different States in the country to monitor the upcoming election, though the North East would not be covered due to the security challenges.
The EU Chief said, “We have been here since mid-November for observations. We followed the primaries, election propaganda, media and possible claims after the election.
“Over 90 election observers have been deployed by the EU to monitor the forthcoming election in all the states but they will not cover the North-East because of the activities of insurgents in the zone.
“For security reasons, unfortunately, we can’t deploy into North-East region.”
He also disclosed that although, the number of observers from the EU in the country are few they are the best when it comes to election observation.
Fisas, while commenting on the Abuja Peace Accord, recently signed by some Presidential Candidates said the EU was in support the nation’s elections and the body was not in support of any party or candidate.
“We apply international rules for the election; that means we must be neutral. We don’t interfere at all as a mission.
“I will give you an example; it is like a football match. We are not the referee, we are just spectators” he affirmed.
The PDP National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, while responding said the party will keep to the terms of the accord irrespective of the recent attacks on its campaign team by members suspected to be All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters.
He said, “On the Abuja Accord the PDP stands. Only yesterday, there was a meeting of the National Peace Committee that was set up by eminent Nigerians and the party attended the meeting and we resolved that the Abuja Accord is good for this country. It is good for our future; it is good for our economy. It is good for our image and it is good for our wellbeing.”(Daily Post)
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