Over 120 observers and journalists would be deployed to 23 states of Nigeria to monitor and cover the general elections slated for February 25 and March 11, 2023.
National Coordinator of First Lygel Youths & Leadership Initiative, Barrister Olalekan Idowu Oladapo, and Team Leader of Platforms Africa, Adeola Yusuf, disclosed this at the weekend, adding that it was the biggest collaboration ever in Nigeria, which would work towards free, fair and credible elections.
According to the officials, there are over 120 observers and journalists in this partnership by Platforms Africa which has three other organisations on board; First Lygel Youths & Leadership Initiative, and Nigerian Social Workers and Save African Foundation, HURMA.
The statement titled Platforms Africa, First Lygel, Others Partner For Nigeria’s Elections’ Coverage, Monitoring, said the group had earlier trained more than 100 observers for the 2023 Elections., adding that there are also 23 state supervisors to be deployed to all the six geo-political zones and observers in about 18 states of the federation of Nigeria.
Oladapo described the observers as seasoned professionals consisting of legal practitioners, social workers, senior public servants, academicians, experts and veterans from PIND, an NGO based in Niger Delta.
The statement did not however name the states they would deploy the observers and journalists to.
He said with this formidable team, the partnership would make a great impact in Nigeria and other countries,” adding that “we are excited about the partnership with Platforms Africa, which has one of the largest reaches in the continent and it is registered and hosted on the media INEC portal.”
Yusuf said Platforms Africa, an e-community of intellectuals, policy moulders and opinion leaders across Africa, is pleased to be a part of this partnership in election monitoring with First Lygel Youths & Leadership Initiative.
“We announce that Platforms Africa has been registered on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We are also honoured by the invitation extended to us by Barrister Olalekan Oladapo, member, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) General Council, and coordinator of the First Lygel.
“Platforms Africa has designed a template to give an on-the-spot report about Nigeria’s election to readers across the continent, and this partnership is expected to increase our areas of coverage to over 23 States in Nigeria.
“We are excited about this and every call for action that will guarantee a better Africa and a kinder humanity,” Yusuf said.
Platforms Africa is a registered media group on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while First Lygel is an INEC-accredited observer group.
Platforms Africa, First Lygel Youths & Leadership Initiative, and other NGOs are in this partnership for the forthcoming elections in Nigeria.
