Yemi Osinbajo, the former Vice President of Nigeria, spoke to the media on June 19th, 2023 regarding the upcoming multi-tiered elections. He stated that the Commonwealth observation group is present to observe the election but will not interfere with it. Osinbajo expressed his pride in being a fellow African, Commonwealth citizen, and chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group.
The group was established by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, KC, upon invitation from the Sierra Leone Election Commission.Osinbajo acknowledged the significance of the elections for the people of Sierra Leone, the region, and the global community. He assured everyone that the group had no executive function and would only observe and provide recommendations as necessary. The group will observe the pre-election environment, voting day activities, and the post-election period. They will examine if the conditions are in place for credible elections, including a fair election environment, impartial public media, transparency, voter freedom, and transparency in the counting and results procedures.
He said the group will adhere to the principles of neutrality, impartiality, objectivity, and independence. They will meet with several stakeholders, including the Sierra Leonean Electoral Commission, government representatives, political parties, security agencies, civil society groups, citizen and international observation groups, diplomats, and the media. The group’s observers will be deployed in small teams across various parts of the country, and they will issue an interim report on their preliminary findings during their stay in Sierra Leone.
Osinbajo stressed the importance of free, fair, and violence-free elections in Sierra Leone. He encouraged all political parties and their supporters to adhere to the Electoral Pledge. He also urged all citizens to contribute to a peaceful process as 3.3 million registered voters exercise their democratic right on Election Day. In conclusion, Osinbajo wished the people of Sierra Leone well and reminded them that the hard lessons of history have taught us that violence, division, and hate cannot be part of the future. Instead, peace, justice, and national unity must prevail above everything else.
