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An election
monitoring group, Project 2011 Swift Count, has condemned the detention
of some accredited observers by security forces and other groups during
Saturday’s presidential election.

In an interim
statement on the election, the observer group said it was also
concerned that accredited observers were denied access to polling units
where they were assigned to monitor and that some of its observers were
arrested and detained.

“We are extremely
concerned about accredited observers being denied access to polling
units,” Dafe Apkedeye, Project 2011 Swift Count’s 1st Co-Chair, said.

“In several states, Project 2011 Swift Count observers were harassed and in some cases detained by security forces.

“The Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security forces must take
all necessary steps to ensure accredited observers have access to
polling units and collation centre.”

According to the
group, the most worrisome was the situation in Warri North and Warri
South LGAs in Delta State where observers of the group were detained.

“Several of our
observers there were detained throughout the night by the security
agencies without just cause. This action is unacceptable,”

Mr. Apkedeye said,
also urging INEC, security agencies and all others involved, to as a
matter of urgency do everything in their power to address this
situation and prevent any similar occurrences in the future.

Project 2011 Swift
Count is a joint initiative of the Federation of Muslim Women’s
Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN); Justice, Development and Peace
/Caritas Nigeria (JDPC), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Transition
Monitoring Group (TMG).

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Speaking a press
briefing at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja yesterday, Mr.Akpedeye told
journalists that for the presidential election, the group deployed more
than 8,000 accredited observers to all 774 local government areas, over
7000 stationary observers at polling units and nearly 1,000 observers.

It asked the INEC
to ensure that all accredited observers, not just international ones,
should be allowed to move freely and to access polling units and
collation centres across the country. It also recommended that security
agencies should refrain from any action that will prevent accredited
observers from carrying out their mandate.