By Adeyemi Adeleye/Busayo Onijala
The European Observation Mission Nigeria, 2023 on Tuesday advised Nigerians to ensure international best practices at the nation’s forthcoming general elections.
A team of two EU Longer Team Observers – Mr Marko Logar and Ms Agnieszka Gorna – gave the advice during a courtesy visit to the Lagos Office of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
They were received by the Acting Head of Lagos Operations of NAN, Mr Abdulfatah Babatunde, and some other senior staff of the agency.
Lorga and Gorna are in charge of the 2023 General Elections observation in Lagos State on behalf of the mission.
Logar said that the team had been observing election campaigns and preparations by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to him, the team has also been meeting critical stakeholders such as civil society organisations, the judiciary and the media.
Logar said that the mission’s observations as well as its final report on the elections would be presented by its chief observer.
“We are meeting people, gathering information, analysing them and providing information,” he said.
Gorna added: “We are not supporting any political party. We ask people what their thoughts are. We will be open to all comments and criticisms.
“We will like to be visible and transparent. We have nothing to hide,” she said.
Gorna said that the team expected the elections to be conducted in line with international best practices.
“Everything should be according to the law, the Electoral Law, following international practices,” she urged.
She added that the mission was doing its best to fact-check information pushed out on social media.
“We need to be very careful about misinformation and disinformation.”
According to her, the EU has 20 teams of observers in Nigeria for the general elections.
Responding, Babatunde, who welcomed the team, said that NAN remained a major media content provider, with offices in the 36 states of the federation besides its headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory.
He added that the agency had 12 zonal offices, district offices and foreign offices.
He said that the agency was extensively and objectively reporting the process of the general elections.
“Everything that will make it a success is what we are after. We can assure you that we are giving good reportage of all the activities.
“We have been covering all the political parties to give everyone of them a voice. We extend equal coverage to all of them. We do not discriminate.
“We give all political parties equal opportunities to sell their candidates and manifestoes. We report event as we see them,” he said.
Other senior staff of NAN at the event include a Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Head of NAN Lagos Editorial Operations, Mr Folorunso Poroye, and a Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Mr Joe Idika. (NAN)
