AU deploys pre-electoral mission to monitor Nigeria's upcoming elections

ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) said it has deployed a Special Pre-electoral Political Mission to monitor the ongoing preparation for the upcoming general elections in Nigeria.

The pre-electoral political mission, led by former deputy president of South Africa and member of the AU Panel of the Wise Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, is deployed from Nov. 26 to Dec. 4 to Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, the AU's Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security disclosed in a statement issued late Tuesday.

The AU's Special Pre-electoral Political Mission to Nigeria's upcoming general elections also consists of heads of the Pan-African Parliament, AU Commission staff as well as independent electoral experts, the AU said.

Nigeria will hold general elections on February 25, 2023, to elect the president and the bicameral national assembly as well as state elections on March 11, 2023.

The main objective of the AU's Special Pre-electoral Political Mission to Nigeria is said to assess the state of preparedness for the general elections as well as express solidarity to the federal government and the people of Nigeria.

The AU said the mission is part of the overall efforts to support Nigeria aimed at consolidating democracy, peace, and stability in line with the mandate bestowed on the AU to promote peaceful, democratic, and credible elections as stipulated in various AU normative instruments, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and the 2002 Declaration of Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa.

While in Abuja, in order to gain perspectives on the state of preparedness for the elections, the AU mission is expected to engage with a wide range of key stakeholders in the electoral process including the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Inspector General of Police, Political Parties, the media, the civil society including representatives of youth and women organizations, among others.