The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said 134 observer groups would be eligible to monitor the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo slated for September and November, respectively.

Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner & Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, who disclosed this in a statement, further revealed that 124 were domestic while 10 were international observer groups.

The statement reads in part: “In continuation of preparations for the 2024 Edo and Ondo State Governorship elections, the Commission is pleased to provide an update on the accreditation of observers for the elections.

“A total of 153 applications were received from interested organisations. After a review as provided by our regulations and guidelines, 134 groups (124 domestic and 10 international) met the requirements for accreditation.

“The classification of the organisations shows that 28 are gender-based, three representing Persons with Disability, eight are faith-based, 10 foreign, and over 100 others working in areas relevant to the functions of INEC, most of them with previous experience of election observation.

“The next step is for the accredited organisations to upload the personal details and photographs of their field observers to our dedicated portal established for that purpose. To this end, the Commission is organising a one-day training for representatives of observer groups on Wednesday 17th July 2024 at the Commission’s Conference Room in Abuja at 10.00 am. Access Code to the portal and letters of accreditation will be given to representatives of the accredited organisations at the training venue.

“Details of the one-day training as well as the comprehensive list of all the 134 accredited groups have been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for action by the concerned organisations and for public information,” it added. (Nigerian Tribune)

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