A non-profit Organization, Yiaga Africa, has emphasised the importance of collaboration between civil society organisations (CSOs) and the Media to enhance citizen engagement and strengthen electoral transparency through data-driven election observation.
This was the focus of a roundtable held in Awka, Anambra State, titled “CSO Leaders and Media Roundtable on Election with a Focus on Anambra State”.
The event was part of the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) initiative, aimed at educating CSO leaders and media professionals on systematic, evidence-based election monitoring.
Yiaga Africa’s Director of Programmes, Cynthia Mbamalu, outlined the organisation’s deployment strategy under its flagship Watching The Vote project, including its goals to promote electoral integrity, monitor security trends, and advocate reforms.
“Watching The Vote is a citizen-led election observation initiative aimed at ensuring electoral processes reflect the will of the people.
“It enables citizens to engage meaningfully with the process, understand what happens, and demand accountability,” Mbamalu said.
Mbamalu emphasised that Anambra’s off-cycle election offers a key opportunity to assess the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Deployment
She revealed that Yiaga Africa would deploy 250 polling unit observers and 22 mobile observers, one for each local government area, to monitor pre-election activities, election day processes, and result collation.
“Our methodology involves sampling polling units and using statistical tools to verify whether the official results declared by INEC truly reflect the votes cast. If there is a discrepancy, we will not hesitate to highlight where and why the results cannot be verified,” she explained.
Participants at the roundtable were introduced to the PRVT methodology, data collection strategies, and best practices for communicating election findings to the public.
Discussions also focused on political and security developments in the lead-up to the polls.
Addressing the issue of security, Mbamalu expressed concern over the use of local vigilante groups during recent by-elections in the state.
She stressed that election security should remain the responsibility of the Nigeria Police Force, working in coordination with legally established federal security agencies.
“We need an election environment free from fear and intimidation. The police, not vigilante groups, should lead election security operations. Importantly, personnel deployed must be properly trained and vetted,” she stated.
Mbamalu also highlighted the urgent need to address low voter turnout, citing that the last governorship election in Anambra recorded a turnout of just 12 percent.
She said ongoing stakeholder engagement and grassroots voter education campaigns by Yiaga observers aim to reverse that trend.
“We are committed to raising awareness, increasing participation, and building trust in the electoral process,” she concluded.
Yiaga Africa is a non-profit group focused on promoting democratic governance and human rights in Nigeria, and other African countries.
Confidence Okwuchi