Nigeria’s Rescheduled Elections to cost EU Election Observation Mission 1.8 Million Euros

The EU Election Observation Mission to Nigeria will require an extra 1.8 million Euros budget to remain in the country to carry out its assignment following the rescheduling of the polls, an official said.

The Chief Observer of the mission, Santiago Fisas, made the development known in a media interaction in Abuja on Thursday.

Fisas said that the extra funds would raise the mission’s budget for monitoring the polls to 6.2 million Euros.

The official said the team would work in all the geo-political zones in the country, except the northeast but added that some members of the mission would observe holidays for about 10 days.

“We will go to the northeast if the government guarantees security in the area,’’ he said.

Fisas said the team would be in Kano on Friday to discuss with the Emir of Kano and the governor of the state.

He said that the team would also visit the Sultan of Sokoto and the Catholic archbishop of Abuja.

Fisas said he had fruitful meetings with political stakeholders in the country, especially the presidential candidates of Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress and their political parties.

On the rescheduling of the polls by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the chief observer said that the mission was aware that the commission did so within the provisions of the law.

He said Europe and the rest of the world were interested in the elections and were supporting and watching the process keenly.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that INEC on Saturday announced changes in the dates for the conduct of the general elections from Feb. 14 to March 28 for the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The commission also rescheduled the state governorship and legislative elections from Feb. 28 to April 11.