Gender and Election Watch (GEW) observation group, on Friday, urged stakeholders in the Saturday’s poll to give priority voting to pregnant women and nursing mothers in line with the Electoral Act, 2022.
Mufuliat Fijabi, the Chief Executive Officer, GEW Room of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), also advised that the elderly and persons with disabilities should be accorded with priority voting.
Fijabi made the call while addressing a pre-election press briefing held in Abuja.
She said that no fewer than 400 accredited observers would be deployed across the six geo-political zones for the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for tomorrow, and governorship and state assembly elections skates for March 11.
She said the team would be observing and assessing how all elements of the election process impact all stakeholders from a gender perspective.
Fijabi, who said that GEW would monitor the poll in collaboration with other observer groups, stressed that it was an election observation platform from a gender perspective.
“This strategic initiative has been put in place to gather information and carry out analysis on women’s participation in the elections in comparison to men as well as the assessment of all critical components of the electoral processes for action and advisory towards a more vibrant democratic governance in Nigeria.
“NWTF through its use of an electronic gender-based checklist will watch and harvest critical data on the participation of women and other vulnerable groups in this election and will carry out its analysis based on the Electoral Act (2022) as amended.
“Additionally, NWTF’s GEW Room will closely observe the election day performance of voters, candidates, and poll officials from a gender perspective.
“Also, NWTF’s GEW will closely watch the efficiency and effectiveness of technology deployed for the electoral process,” she said.
She, therefore, called on the security agencies to perform their duties without militarising and intimidating the voters, especially women on election day.
Fijabi, who advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials to demonstrate fairness, maintain professionalism and due process in the discharge of their duties, also said INEC should maintain its statutory level of preparedness to ensure early opening of polls.
She urged political parties and their candidates to adhere to their commitment to the peace accord signed for a peaceful election.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the GEW Room, is an initiative of NWTF, an organisation founded to close the gender gaps in governance in Nigeria.
(NAN)
