CESDA urged FCT residents to put away apathy and turn out in their numbers to cast their votes and guard their mandate to ensure the outcome of the polls reflects the will of the people.
While briefing journalists on Friday in Abuja, The Executive Director of the Centre, Mr. Olusola Babalola, disclosed that the organisation would deploy 100 citizen observers across the 62 wards of the Federal Capital Territory to monitor the election and provide real-time situation room reports.
“The FCT election is the only local election to be conducted by the INEC and it will be the first election to be conducted by INEC within the context of progressive reforms that are revolutionizing the administration of elections in the country.
“Whilst we commend the commission for the gradual introduction of technologies in our elections, the commission must address the technology and capacity gaps observed in the deployment of the newly introduced BVAS in the Anambra elections, as anything short of that will be a rollback from the mileage that the commission has achieved in recent past.
“CESDA will share its preliminary findings on the conduct of accreditation, voting and counting with the media. This preliminary statement will contain detailed information on every phase of the Election Day process.
“Furthermore, we appeal to FCT people to work together to ensure that the election reflects the will of the people. Expectedly on Election will be long for voters who will spend hours at the polling unit queuing for accreditation and voting. It is likely to be hot and tempers may rise. We, therefore, urge the electorate to remain calm even in the face of challenges.
“In the interest of transparency and accountability, we urge INEC to live up to its billing by ensuring that all results are transmitted electronically to its central portal. Doing this would enhance the confidence of political parties, contestants and the public in the accuracy of the official results.”
