IRI Postpones Plans for Election Observation Mission to Nigeria

August 5, 2002

IRI officially postponed its plans for an electoral observation in Nigeria when the country's Vanguard newspaper reported on July 26 that Nigeria's 36 state governors had called for the polls to be postponed.

IRI had planned to send a 15-person bipartisan election observation mission to Nigeria in August led by IRI Board Member Mayor James Garner. Delegates for the observation mission also included Senate and House staff members and Washington-based democracy-watchers. With the election date just over a week away, and no final voters' register prepared, few expect that the local council elections will be held.

However, confusion regarding polls remains, as evidenced by This Day newspaper's report on August 31 that the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria has called on states to proceed as scheduled with the council polls. Because of these conflicting reports, Jeff Krilla, IRI's Africa division director said an effective observation mission would be impossible due to the chaotic political situation and the real possibility of violence at the polls if the elections took place on August 10.

Most observers expect that June's controversial registration of new political parties, the national electoral commission's failure to produce a new voters' register, and repeated calls for postponement by five of Nigeria's six political parties will lead to an official postponement of the elections until late fall.

If postponed, IRI plans to conduct the observation mission when council polls do take place in the fall.

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