Transition Monitoring Group To Monitor US Election

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Nigeria’s foremost independent civil society election observation organization, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) is in the United States for the monitoring of the Tuesday, November 8, 2016 U.S. presidential election.

This is pursuant to official invitation it received from the International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES) to its U.S. Election Program (USEP).

The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Chairperson, Dr Abiola Akiyode – Afolabi, has since left for the US for the election programme.

Since 1992, IFES has hosted a flagship event, the U.S. Election Program (USEP), which brings together election officials, parliamentarians and diplomats from around the world to observe and learn about the U.S. electoral system as well as discuss elections and voting from comparative international perspectives.

TMG’s Senior Program Officer, Olusola Babalola, provided details of the programme and the group’s involvement with the US polls in a statement on Monday.

It read in part: “The 2016 U.S. Election Program, this year will be immediately followed by the Seventh Global Elections Organization (GEO-7) Conference. The combined events are scheduled to take place Sunday, November 6, through Thursday, November 10, 2016.

“The event will also host a breakfast briefing on Election Day featuring a prominent Republican and Democrat and offer an opportunity for exclusive tour of polling units throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

“While in United States, Dr Abiola Akiyode–Afolabi will also attend the GEO-7 Conference. The conference will foster technical discussions of interest to election administrators and focus on the use of data and technology to improve transparency and accountability.

“The GEO partners include the Association of European Election Officials, IFES, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa, Mexico’s National Electoral Institute, the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division and the United Nations Development Programme.

“She will also attend a reception honouring election practitioners with the 2016 Joe C. Baxter Award. The evening is expected to end with an election watch party with live televised coverage of election results.”

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) supports citizens’ rights to participate in free and fair elections around the globe.