A Non Governmental Organisation, YIAGA AFRICA said the organisation will deploy a total number of 500 Watching The Vote (WTV) Polling Unit Observers to observe the voting and counting process during the Kogi November Governorship election.
The Project Coordinator, Cynthia Mbamalu who made this known during a Media Roundtable on Kogi 2019 Governorship Election with selected Journalists in the state, which took place in Lokoja, Kogi State said the NGO promotes domestic governance, accountability, human rights and youth Civic participation.
According to her, their mission is to build and support democracies anchored in the principles of inclusion, accountability and Justice through research, advocasy and capacity development.
On Kogi election, she noted that for 2019 Kogi State election, Watching The Vote will deploy observers in pairs to a representative random sample of 250 polling units in every local government councils in the state.
According to her, WTV will also have 26 mobile (roving) observers present in all 21 local government councils stressing that they will use their mobile phones to send coded text messages of observations reports to YIAGA AFRICA’s WTV Data Center situated in Lokoja.
Mbamalu opined that each observers will receive a structured observation checklist and a tally sheet to ensure uniformity in the observation process.
“WTV observers will report on the opening of polling units, accreditation and voting, counting and the announcement/posting of results. They will also send in official results as announced by the election officials at polling units to the WTV Data Center,” she assured.
She added further that using the PVT, YIAGA AFEICA is to provide Independent information to voters, candidates, political parties, INEC and election stakeholders on whether the official results truly reflect the ballots cast at polling units.
However, if INEC’s official results fall within YIAGA AFRICA’s estimated range, then the public, political parties and candidates should have confidence that the official results reflect the ballots cast at polling units and if the official results do not reflect the ballots cast, Watching The Vote will expose it.
