By Fatima Zahra Mohammed
ASHENEWS reports that a leading pan-African media group, Platforms Africa, and First Lygel Youths & Leadership Initiative, a public interest outfit and social entrepreneur, have announced a partnership for the forthcoming elections in Nigeria.
The partnership, which will be headed by a member of the Nigeria Bar Association. (NBA) General Council, Barrister Olalekan Oladapo, will deploy over 100 observers, journalists in 23 states, is one of the biggest for the Nigeria election
The National Coordinator of First Lygel Youths & Leadership Initiative, Barrister Olalekan Idowu Oladapo, and Team Lead of Platforms Africa, Adeola Yusuf, said at the weekend that the collaboration was to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
While Platforms Africa is a registered media group on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), First Lygel is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) observer of the elections accredited by INEC
The team comprising over 120 observers and journalists in this partnership with Platforms Africa has on board three different organisations; First Lygel Youths & Leadership Initiative, a public interest outfit and social enterpreneur headed by Oladapo, Nigerian Social Workers and Save African Foundation, HURMA, a human rights organisation based in Lagos headed by Mr Olu Jacob and Mr Bolaji; and academics headed by Prof Femi Saibu, and Comrade Buna.
The group had, according to Oladapo, earlier engaged more than 100 observers by organising a series of training toward observing the 2023 Elections. It has about 23 state supervisors cutting across all the six geo political zones and observers in about 18 states of the federation of Nigeria.
“These observers are seasoned professionals comprising of legal practitioners, social workers, senior public servants, academicians, experts and veterans from PIND, a multi-national NGO based in Niger Delta, graduates of all walks of life, the list is interminable.
“We believe with this formidable team, our partnership is designed to make a great impact here and beyond the Nigerian shores,” Oladapo said, adding, “We are excited about partnership with Platforms Africa, which has one of the largest reaches in the continent and it is registered and hosted on the media INEC portal. Mr Adeola Yusuf, its Team Lead, is a recipient of several national and global media awards.”
Responding to Oladapo’s speech, Yusuf said; “It is our pleasure at Platforms Africa, an e-community of intellectuals, policy moulders and opinion leaders across Africa, to be a part of this partnership (election monitoring project) with First Lygel Youths & Leadership Initiative, a public interest outfit and social enterpreneur.
“We announce that Platforms Africa, www.platformsafrica.com, has been registered on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We are also honoured by the invitation extended to us by Barrister Olalekan Oladapo, member, Nigerain Bar Association (NBA) General Council, and coordinator of the First Lygel.
“Platforms Africa has designed template to give on-the–spot report about the Nigeria’s election to readers across the continent, and this partnership is expected to increase our areas of coverage to over 23 States in Nigeria.
“We are excited about this and every call for action that will guarantee a better Africa and a kinder humanity,” Adeola Yusuf concluded.
