YIAGA Africa Deploys 328 Observers For Imo Guber Poll

YIAGA Africa has said it is deploying 328 trained observers and an advanced citizen observation method known as Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) in the November 11 Imo governorship election.

The director of programmes of the group, Barrister Cynthia Mbamalu, made this known at an interactive session with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and newsmen in Owerri.

Barrister Mbamalu, who said the PRVT had been deployed in over 50 countries, explained that the observation method does not only focus on vote tabulation but transparency of electoral process.

According to her, the PRVT leverages on two important rules-statistics and technology.

“Statistics help us to randomly select polling units across the 27 local government areas.

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“In Imo and Kogi, we have selected 300 sampled polling units across the states and  recruited and trained our observers to observe the elections.

“They are to observe the process from the arrival of materials and personnel to the opening of the poll, the conduct and the results,” she stated.

Barrister Mbamalu added that the method would help to observe compliance of the poll with INEC’s electoral guidelines.

She said a database would be set up in Abuja to receive and analyse results from the elections which would be sent in by the observers.

“We have the responsibility to redesign and give hope to democracy in our country and ensure that the people’s voices are heard and reflected in governance,” she said.

Mbamalu urged the police  to ensure effective and deliberate deployment of personnel driven by intelligence to six local government areas of the state which she described as volatile.

The areas, according to her, include Oru East, Oru West, Okigwe, Orlu, Orsu and Ehime Mbano which have major security challenges.

“If citizens are not confident of their right to vote, the right to be voted for and free and fair atmosphere, in terms of security, it limits their confidence and fundamental right to vote.

“We want security deployed to protect the people and not to intimidate them. The  security personnel should be professional and must understand the importance of human rights policing that seeks to protect the people first,” she said.

While noting that INEC had commenced training of the ad-hoc staff for the poll, she stressed the need to ensure that only the trained ad-hoc staff are deployed to the polling units.

Mbamalu said the meeting was organised to discuss concerns of CSOs and the media in the election with a view to fostering common grounds for coverage of the poll.