By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA – AS Governorship and State Assembly elections set to hold today, March 9, 2019, and election observer, YIAGA AFRICA, Friday, disclosed that the Parallel Vote Tabulation, PVT, methodology will not be deployed.

A voter uses a smartphone to photograph his details on a voters’ list displayed at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) central office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on March 8, 2019. – Nigerian voters will go to the polls on March 9 to elect governors and lawmakers in 29 of the nation’s 36 states two weeks after presidential and national assembly elections in which Buhari was elected for a second term. (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP)

This was made known by the Executive Director, YIAGA AFRICA, Samson Itodo, while speaking on deployment of 682 observers to 29 States for the elections.

According to Itodo, the observers will be deployed to 642 Local Government Area results collation centres and 29 Sate collation centres.

He further explained that observers will observe the entire election day process from setup of the polling units, accreditation, voting, announcement and posting of the official results and will send in periodic reports to the Watching the Vote National Data Centre in Abuja.

It would be recalled that YIAGA AFRICA had deployed the PVT to several elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, including the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections, which according to the PVT that figures are consistent with the official results as announced by INEC, which further stated that “For both APC and PDP the official results fall within the PVT estimated ranges.”

He said: “YIAGA AFRICA Watching The Vote will not be deploying the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) methodology but will conduct a systematic observation of the elections.
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“For the March 9 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections, YIAGA AFRICA will deploy a total of 682 observers to observe the elections in 29 states.

“This comprises 642 stationary observers to one polling unit in each of the 642 Local Government Areas, and 40 roving observers and 8 WTV Working Group members. YIAGA AFRICA will also deploy observers to 642 LGA results collation centers and 29 state collation centers.

“This deployment will enable YIAGA AFRICA to provide the most timely and accurate information on the governorship and state assembly elections in 29 States.

“Our observers will observe the entire Election Day process from setup of the polling units, accreditation, voting, announcement and posting of the official results and will send in periodic reports to the Watching the Vote National Data Centre located at Floor 01, Benue/Plateau Hall, Transcorp Hilton in Abuja where they will be processed and analysed.”

He maintained that the mission of YIAGA AFRICA was to deepen democratic system in Nigerian and strengthen the electoral by undertaking the ‘Watching The Vote, WTV, project.

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“YIAGA AFRICA undertook the Watching The Vote project to deepen electoral integrity through independent, credible and professional observation of elections and provide Nigerian voters, presidential candidates, political parties, civil society and INEC of verifiable independent information on the conduct of election. The Watching The Vote project is “Driven by Data – For All Nigerians – Beholden to None!”