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Pre-Election Press Statement on the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections - Women Fund
The Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund (NWTF) is a gender focus NGO created to increase the representation of women in Nigerian governance at all levels and address the growing concerns about the gender imbalance in elective and appointive positions.
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Pre-Election Press Statement on the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections

Pre-Election Press Statement on the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections

24 February 2023

Preamble:

 

The Gender and Election Watch, (GEW) Room, is an initiative of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), an organization founded to close the gender gaps in governance in Nigeria. GEW is an election observation platform from a gender perspective. The GEW is set to observe the 2023 General Elections scheduled for Saturday, 25 February 2023 and 11 March 2023.

 

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.

 

To this end, NWTF GEW has deployed 400 accredited observers across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for tomorrow 25 February 2023 and the Governorship and State Assembly elections scheduled for 11 March 2023, to observe and assess how all elements of the election process impact all stakeholders from a gender perspective.

 

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.

 

Additionally, NWTF’s GEW will closely watch the efficiency and effectiveness of technology deployed for the electoral process.  The GEW Room witnessed the functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the last mock accreditation exercise by INEC with remarkable success and expects that the functionality at the upcoming polls will be optimal.

 

 

NWTF GEW conducted a Pre-Election observation as follows:

 

  1. INEC’s preparedness and the level of readiness of women including women with disabilities to participate in the election.
  2. The security situation and its impact on the electorate.
  3. The effect of the on-going socio -economic situation and the gender implications.

 

 

And notes as follows:

  1. All indications and feedback from our observers show that INEC appears prepared for the 25 February 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
  2. That the security situation is not a perfect one considering pockets of threats but with assurances by the security agencies to protect and keep peace and order.
  3. That the security situation has further been compounded by the socio-economic challenge of the Naira redesign, scarcity of new bank notes, fuel shortage and their related impacts.
  4. That Nigerans, women in particular are affected by the socio-economic crunch of the naira redesign and scarcity of new bank notes but are resilient.

 

NWTF GEW hereby urges as follows:

 

That INEC poll officials should demonstrate fairness, maintain professionalism and due process in the discharge of their duties.

 

  1. That INEC should maintain its statutory level of preparedness and ensure early opening of polls.

 

  1. That the security agencies should perform their duties without militarising and intimidating the voters especially women on election day.

 

  1. That all critical stakeholders, especially members of the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) such as Police, National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), other security agencies should arrest every perpetrator of electoral crimes and ensure safety of lives and property during and after the general elections.

 

  1. That in line with the Amended Electoral Act 2022, priority voting should be accorded to pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

 

  1. That political parties and candidates shall adhere to their commitment to the Peace Accords signed by all on 29 September 2022 and 22 February 2023 for a peaceful election throughout the duration of the election and thereafter.

 

  1. That all electorate, especially women should come out in their numbers to vote for leaders who will drive an inclusive democratic practice.

 

GEW Hotlines:

07047004443

07047004449

 

Signed:

 

 

Mufuliat Fijabi

Chief Executive Officer

For Gender and Election Watch (GEW) Room

of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF).

 

 

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