The secretary-general of International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) Switzerland, Prof. Rafa Marcin Wasik, has commended the accreditation of the commission by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a foreign observer of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
IHRC is a diplomatic member of the Migration and Home Affairs Department of the European Commission.
The secretary-general in a statement made available by the Ambassador at Large and head of the Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria, Amb. Duru Hezekiah, said the responsibility reposed on the organisation to protect the civil and political rights of participants in elections, deterring errors or weak electoral practices, continue to support the process of transition, democratisation and equality remain unwavering.
Rafa maintained that IHRC had played critical roles in the transition to the democratic process in different countries including Africa, helping to build public confidence in the honesty of electoral processes.
He assured that the executive civil service of the European Union would strengthen diplomatic ties, enhance the justice system, foster practices for peaceful democracy transition, ensure that eligible citizens have the opportunity to participate and have a voice in how they would be governed through elections.
“Today, the IHRC, Switzerland received an invitation from Nigeria to join other international and intergovernmental organizations to help observe the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
“I am glad and I wish to especially thank the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari for ensuring policies and practices for international communities to participate in a critical time of Nigeria’s transition, urging him to strengthen the adequate provision of security to further deepen democracy”.
“You may know that election observation remains a valuable tool for improving the quality of elections and an important mechanism for ensuring election integrity in countries; through our observation IHRC seek to detect any infractions in the electoral process, providing concerned bodies with remarks on the progress of the electoral process and decisions taken while guaranteeing the integrity and neutrality of the electoral process,” he stated.
