INEC accredits 134 observers for Edo, Ondo elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has accredited 134 observer groups for the upcoming 2024 Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

The Commission received a total of 153 applications from various organizations, and after a thorough review process, 124 domestic and 10 international groups met the necessary requirements for accreditation.

The accredited organizations comprise a diverse range of groups, including 28 gender-based organizations, three representing Persons with Disability, eight faith-based groups, and over 100 others with expertise relevant to INEC’s functions. Many of these organizations have prior experience in election observation.

In a statement, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the next step in the process, INEC has instructed the accredited organizations to upload the personal details and photographs of their field observers to a dedicated portal.

To facilitate this, the Commission is organizing a one-day training session for representatives of the observer groups. This training will take place on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at 10:00 AM in INEC’s Conference Room in Abuja.

During the session, representatives will receive access codes to the portal and letters of accreditation.

Details of the training and a comprehensive list of all 134 accredited groups have been made available on INEC’s website and social media platforms for public information.

Sam Olumekun, emphasized the Commission’s commitment to a transparent electoral process and expressed confidence that the involvement of these observer groups will enhance the credibility of the upcoming elections.