Elections: EU observer team to spend N872m

The European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria for the 2015 polls has said its budget for the election mission is €4.4 million (N872M).
The budget, it said, covers security, specialists, hotel stay of all observers including those who would stay to observe the early stages of the election petitions, and other logistics.
The EUEOM Deputy Chief Observer, Ms. Hannah Roberts, who held a breakfast meeting with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, restated that observers do not interfere with the electoral process in anyway.
According to her, 95 observers would be deployed for the Presidential elections, adding that the mission is already  collating information from its long term observers who have been on the ground in different states and would release a preliminary statement two days after the elections have been conducted.
Roberts noted that of all its recommendations related to change in electoral legislation following the 2011 general elections, only the Freedom of Information Act recommendation was implemented and signed into law.
Some other recommendations related to the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the political parties and participation of women, were largely ignored, she said.
The deputy chief observer explained that using the established methodology set  by the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, the assessment would consider adherence to national legislation and international instruments which Nigeria is signatory to.
(The Punch)