3rd April, 2014
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), African Union, AU and the International-Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) have signed an MoU in Abuja, for deployment of Election Risk Management (ERM) tool to the country.
Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC chairman said that the partnership by the three organisations was long overdue. He explained that Nigeria is the second country in Africa after Kenya to sign the agreement on the election risk management tool.
Jega noted that Kenya used the ERM tool during the 2013 elections to check violence.
He observed that the tool when in place would help check electoral violence across Nigeria during the 2015 election.
Khabele Mathosa, Director of Political Affairs, AU Commission, said that the AU had played a key role in initiating contacts and partners for INEC.
Mathosa stated that the success of the election risk management tool in Nigeria would encourage other African countries to embrace the tool.
Sead Alihodzic, representative of International-IDEA, said that the tool was designed to empower users to organise peaceful and credible elections. He explained that the tool could be customised to meet different country and electoral contexts.
The tool would first be used in Nigeria on 9 August in Osun state during its gubernatorial election.
The tool would help to identify possible `triggers’ for election related violence before it occurs at different stages of the electoral cycle.