Abuja, Nigeria – From December 14-19, 2018, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) will field a third joint delegation to Nigeria to assess preparations for the upcoming national elections scheduled for February and March 2019.

The delegation members are as follows:

• Linda Thomas-Greenfield (lead delegate), Former U.S. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs;

• Lewis Lucke, Former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Swaziland;

• Dickson Omondi, NDI Kenya Resident Country Director; and

• John Tomaszewski, IRI Africa Director.

The delegation plans to meet with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to assess election preparations and explore ways of fostering peaceful and credible elections. The mission will present its findings at a press conference in Abuja on December 19, 2018.

“With just nine weeks to go until Nigeria's 2019 election, we join Nigerians and friends of Nigeria in encouraging intensive efforts to conduct inclusive and peaceful polls,” said Thomas-Greenfield. “Credible elections would further consolidate democracy in Africa's most populous country and largest democracy. We hope our presence will support those efforts.”

IRI and NDI conducted two pre-election assessments in July 2018 and in September 2018 and will jointly deploy international observers to monitor the February and March 2019 polls.

IRI and NDI have organized more than 200 international election observation missions around the globe, earning a reputation for impartiality and professionalism. The IRI-NDI mission to Nigeria will conduct its activities in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct adopted by the United Nations in 2005 and will base its findings and recommendations on Nigerian laws and international standards for elections. All activities will be conducted on a strictly nonpartisan basis and without interfering in the election process.

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