Head of Nigeria electoral body, Professor Attahiru Jega, visits Commonwealth Secretariat

Professor Attahiru Jega, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria, has welcomed the contribution made by the Commonwealth in supporting the strengthening of the body and said he looks forward to continued engagement.

Professor Jega made these comments on 19 May 2011 while meeting Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba at Marlborough House, the Commonwealth Secretariat's headquarters in London.

“I wish to acknowledge and appreciate the contribution and support the Commonwealth has made in our electoral process in a number of areas, particularly in the process of reviewing the code of conduct for political parties,” Mr Jega said.

He added: “With elections now behind us, we are looking forward to strengthening the institution and addressing some of the gaps identified during the election process. And we look forward to your [Commonwealth] continued partnership.”

Professor Jega also commended the role played by the Commonwealth team which observed the April elections, saying that it made “useful and constructive comments”.

“The chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, former President of Botswana Festus Mogae, made very insightful comments about the electoral process. He [Mr Mogae] is a true asset to Africa. We greatly benefited from his wise counsel.”

Commonwealth observers concluded that the elections in Nigeria were “credible and creditable”, but also pointed out areas that need to be improved.

Mrs Masire-Mwamba told Professor Jega that the Commonwealth is committed to continuing to work with INEC, and to provide support where necessary. She said the association and the Commonwealth membership looks forward to benefiting from the sharing of experiences and distilling good practices from INEC and Professor Jega himself, through the newly established Commonwealth Network of Election Management Bodies.

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