February 16, 2018

The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) has expressed its readiness to support Nigeria in conducting free, fair and credible general elections in 2019.

ECES’s Project Director in Nigeria, Mr David Le Notre, made the commitment while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the 2019 Election Project Plan Implementation Workshop, which opened in Lagos on Friday.

He said that the conduct of elections was a complex project that required the commitment of all citizens.

“The conduct of elections is a very complex task that has been rightly described as the biggest peacetime project; it requires the support and commitment of patriotic citizens.

“There are numerous activities that need to be carried out before, during and after the election in order to ensure that the exercise is conducted smoothly, fairly and credibly.

“Many persons and agencies are involved in electoral operations and their efforts need to be coordinated in order to produce the desired result,” he said.

Le Notre commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for adequately planning ahead of the 2019 elections.

“The decision of INEC to come up with the election project plan for the 2019 election is a commendable step that underlines its commitment to a free and fair exercise,” he said.

NAN reports that ECES is a European Union organ for the support of democratic governance in selected countries, including, Nigeria.