2007 Nigeria Elections - Arrival Statement

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt. Hon Don McKinnon, has constituted an Observer Group for the 2007 Nigerian elections following an invitation from the Independent National Election Commission of Nigeria (INEC) and based on the recommendation of an earlier Commonwealth Secretariat Assessment Mission, which concluded that there exists broad support for the presence of a Commonwealth Observer Group for these crucial elections.

It is my honour and privilege to have been asked to lead this Commonwealth Observer Group and to be here in Nigeria at this vitally important time for the country. These elections are crucial for Nigeria, representing the first ever occasion when power will be handed over by one elected civilian administration to another.

These elections are also an opportunity to build on the experiences of the 1999 and 2003 elections – both of which were observed by the Commonwealth – and to take another step in strengthening the country’s democracy. It is vital that the elections are peaceful and credible.

The task of the Commonwealth Observer Group is to observe and report on relevant aspects of the organisation and conduct of the elections. The group will consider all the factors impinging on the credibility of the electoral process as a whole, and determine whether or not the conditions exist for the free of expression of the will of the people, and in general terms to what extent the results reflect the will of the Nigerian people.

In conducting our duties and undertaking our assessment we will be neutral, impartial, objective and independent. If we offer any criticisms they will be constructive, with the intent to help strengthen the democratic process in the country for the future.

Commonwealth Observers are invited in their individual capacities as eminent Commonwealth citizens. The assessment by the Group will be its own and not that of respective member governments or of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Before we deploy, we will meet with INEC, representatives of political parties, civil society, Commonwealth diplomats and media, as well as representatives of other international observer groups in order to listen to the broadest possible range of perspectives and concerns.

A smaller Advance Group has been present in Nigeria for a few days and will be deployed for the state-level elections on 14 April, but the main Group will deploy on 18 April, for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for 21 April. We will observe the climax of the campaign and thereafter the voting, counting and results processes. Following this, the group will reconvene in Abuja to compile our final and comprehensive report prior to departure.

This Final Report will contain our main findings and conclusions as well as our recommendations for strengthening of the process. It will be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who in turn will forward it to the Government of Nigeria, INEC, political parties and then to all Commonwealth Governments. The report will thereafter be made available more widely as well as being placed on the website of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Nigeria, 13 April 2006

Members of the Commonwealth Observer Group are:

Chair Justice Joseph Warioba
Former Prime Minister, Tanzania

Ms Kareem Payne
Regional Youth Caucus Representative, Antigua and Barbuda

Mr Martin Tete
Principal Electoral Officer, Vanuatu

Hon Nancy Tembo
Member of Parliament, Malawi

Mr Salvatore Rweyemamu
Regional Chair, Media Institute of Southern Africa, Tanzania

Dr Noor Mohammad
Former Deputy Election Commissioner, India

Mr Omar Jallow
Acting Secretary-General & Party Leader, People’s Progressive Party, The Gambia

Mr Joseph Biribonwa
Commissioner, Electoral Commission of Uganda

Mr Robert Patterson
Former Chief Electoral Officer, Government of British Columbia, Canada

Ms Sheila Roseau
Executive Director, Directorate of Gender Affairs, Antigua and Barbuda

Miss Kaye Oliver
Former High Commissioner. UK


Members of the Commonwealth Secretariat Staff Team

• Mr Amitav Banerji, Staff Team Leader
• Mr Mark Stevens
• Ms Julie Broadbent
• Mr Martin Kasirye
• Ms Zippy Ojago
• Mr Julius Mucunguzi
• Mrs Anuja Desilva