By Seun Adeuyi
Gender and Election Watch (GEW) Room, an initiative of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), on Friday called on security agencies to prioritize the protection of lives and properties during and after the general elections.
They warned that security personnel should not use their position to intimidate voters.
Mufuliat Fijabi, Chief Executive Officer of NWTF, during a press conference Friday in Abuja, said they were going to monitor the elections across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and had deployed 400 observers.
“The Gender and Election Watch (GEW) Room, is an initiative of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), an organization founded to close the gender gaps in governance in Nigeria. GEW is an election observation platform from a gender perspective. The GEW is set to observe the 2023 General Elections scheduled for Saturday, 25 February 2023 and 11 March 2023.
“This strategic initiative has been put in place to gather information and carry out analysis on women’s participation in the elections in comparison to men as well as the assessment of all critical components of the electoral processes for action and advisory towards a more vibrant democratic governance in Nigeria.
“To this end, NWTF GEW has deployed 400 accredited observers across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for tomorrow 25 February 2023 and the Governorship and State Assembly elections scheduled for 11 March 2023, to observe and assess how all elements of the election process impact all stakeholders from a gender perspective,” she said.
NWTF GEW urged as follows:
“That INEC poll officials should demonstrate fairness, maintain professionalism and due process in the discharge of their duties.
“That INEC should maintain its statutory level of preparedness and ensure early opening of polls.
“That the security agencies should perform their duties without militarizing and intimidating the voters, especially women on election day.
“That all critical stakeholders, especially members of the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) such as Police, National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other security agencies should arrest every perpetrator of electoral offenses and ensure safety of lives and property during and after the general elections.
“That in line with the Amended Electoral Act 2022, priority voting should be accorded to pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
“That political parties and candidates shall adhere to their commitment to the Peace Accords signed by all on 29 September 2022 and 22 February 2023 for a peaceful election throughout the duration of the election and thereafter.
“That all electorate, especially women, should come out in their numbers to vote for leaders who will drive an inclusive democratic practice.”
