AU mission calls for calm in Nigeria's presidential election

The African Union observation mission is calling for calm as Nigeria's Presidential election enters the collation stage, urging aggrieved parties to seek legal redress where necessary. Uhuru Kenyatta, former Kenyan President, and the Head of the mission stressed the need for the electorate to uphold the rule of law. Despite isolated incidents of violence in Kano, Lagos, Delta, Abuja, and Cross River, the electoral environment was generally peaceful. The polls took place against the backdrop of a cash crisis following the redesigning of the Naira currency. A range of stakeholders has acknowledged this in a positive spirit and supported the policy of the Naira redesign. The mission deployed 32 teams of observers in 17 states, covering all six geopolitical zones. The observers visited a total of 438 polling units to observe the opening, voting, closing, and counting procedures in both urban and rural areas. In 95% of the polling units visited, the atmosphere was generally calm and peaceful. The mission noted with regret the loss of life and damage to property occasioned by the isolated incidents of violence. The mission also highlighted the positive measures undertaken by INEC to reschedule polls in specific areas for February 26, 2023, where voting could not take place due to insecurity or logistical reasons. However, the mission observed that 83% of the polling units visited opened late, with an average delay of over an hour. Some units opened as late as 11 a.m. This delay was mainly due to the late arrival of polling officials and materials, as well as slow setup at some polling units. The unbalanced allocation of voters per polling unit was also noted. While INEC had capped 750 as a ceiling for voters per unit, the actual allocation ranged from one to 3,000 in some units, affecting the voting process and straining polling staff. As the country awaits the announcement of results by INEC, the mission urges all stakeholders to remain committed to the rule of law and democratic principles until the conclusion of the process. The mission also encourages aggrieved parties to use legally established channels to seek redress. The mission has put forward several recommendations for consideration to improve future electoral processes. These recommendations include upholding peace and the rule of law throughout the electoral process, reviewing electoral logistics operations strategy, and increasing voting hours to encourage greater participation. The AU will be issuing a detailed report once the collating process is complete. In conclusion, all Nigerians are urged to remain calm and await the final verdict of INEC.