Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth, and Advancement (YIAGA) will be deploying the Watching The Vote (WTV) Election observation methodology for the November 26 Ondo State Governorship Election.
Samson Itodo, Executive Director, YIAGA said this in a statement issued and made available to newsmen.
He said that the WTV observation methodology would employ statistical principles and Information Technology to provide systematic data on the quality of Election Day processes and deploys evidential reports that enhance the credibility of election results.
According to him, in line with international and national guiding principles on election observation, the WTV is designed to provide a baseline for the assessment of elections, build confidence in the electoral process and adopt evidence-based approach to election observation.
“In order to achieve a 100% success in deploying this methodology for election observation, this methodology involves the recruitment, training and deployment of accredited observers to pre-assigned polling units which are selected from a representative sample of all polling units in Ondo State”
“This is done through a cascaded training system which began with an induction training of members of the YIAGA WTV Desk and Working Group by National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Akure.
At the opening session of the training Mr Jasper Veen, Rep. Country Director, NDI who was represented by Francis Madugu, Senior Programme Manager, NDI, said the exercise was in preparation for the recruitment of 300 observers in the pre-sampled polling units (PUs) in the 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo State.
NDI is a nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.
Madugu said that the success of the WTV methodology would be based on the effective training of the field observers who would be responsible for sending in real time, accurate and coded SMS messages from their pre-assigned polling units to the National Information Centre (NIC) on Election Day.
According to him, to promote ownership of the process, WTV leverage on the power of citizens to engage the electoral process.
Ms Cynthia Mbamalu, YIAGA WTV Project Director, while speaking said that the observation exercise for the November 26 governorship election in the state was a deviation from the tradition form of election observation to a more systematic and data driven form of citizen observation of election.
Mbamalu stated that the deployment of the WTV methodology will further strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process.
She said that there was need to review election observation to a more data and technology-driven process that improves the standard and quality of election in the country.
She said that the training would afford members to learn more about the WTV methodology and build their capacity for effective deployment of the WTV methodology.
Signed
Mr Samson Itodo
Executive Director, YIAGA (Abuja)
October, 18, 2016
