MOSCOW, January 22 (Sputnik) — The EU has deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to supervise the forthcoming general election in Nigeria, in response to an invitation by the country's authorities, the organization said in a statement Thursday.
The EU mission already assessed the registration of Nigerian political parties and voters in November and December of last year. A delegation of the European Parliament and Nigeria-based EU diplomats will join the EOM during the elections.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini has appointed Santiago Fisas Ayxela, an EU parliamentarian, as the Chief Observer of the EOM, and he will arrive in Nigeria next week.
"Under the leadership of Chief Observer Fisas I am confident that the EU EOM will provide an important contribution," the statement quotes Mogherini as saying.
The EU calls on all stakeholders to work at "transparent and credible elections", the EU Foreign Policy Chief added.
The coming general election is the fifth since Nigeria regained democracy in 1999. The EU mission observed the Nigerian elections held in 2003, 2007 and 2011.
