AU to mobilise 90 observers for Nigeria’s 2023 elections

The African Union Commission announced on Tuesday that it would be sending a 90-strong observer mission to Nigeria for this month’s elections.

Africa’s most populous country goes to the polls on 25 February for the presidential and National Assembly elections but has been plunged into crisis in the run-up to the vote with dire shortages of cash and fuel.

The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) is being headed by former Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, who helped broker a deal to end two years of war in northern Ethiopia, and is mediating the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The AU said the objectives of the mission were to provide an “accurate and impartial assessment” of the electoral process, offer recommendations for any improvement in future polls, and to demonstrate AU support “towards consolidation of democracy, peace, stability, and development in Nigeria”.

Nearly 100 million people will vote to elect President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor, who will step down after two terms as Nigeria suffers from pervasive insecurity and economic stagnation.