Chairman of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said that accredited election observers are not permitted to grant media interviews.
He also directed that, at the polling units, no security personnel is allowed to hinder accredited observers from observing the election process.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Yakubu stated this at a National briefing for Accredited Observers (Domestic and Foreign) for the 2019 general election held on Tuesday in Abuja.
Also speaking, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, advised members of the observer groups to always wear their accredited tags.
“We shall identify you with your tags. If you wear your tag, you are free to move about; but without your tag, don’t come out to say you are observing. We will observe you,’’ Adamu warned.
INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Antonia Okoosi-Simbine, who is the Chairperson, Election and Party Monitoring Committee, said as at Tuesday, the Commission had accredited 119 domestic and 35 foreign observer groups.
Okoosi-Simbine said the Commission anticipated that it might get a few late additional requests, which could be made through its state offices and security agencies.
She advised observer groups to comply with INEC regulations and guidelines, and to submit their reports after the election.