Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and advancement (YIAGA) has held its first #WatchingtheVote election series towards 2019 General elections in Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja.

According to YIAGA, Executive Director Samson Itodo “#WatchingtheVote is a movement of citizens committed to

promoting and ensuring integrity in the electoral process and deploying specially designed methodology for a data and technology driven election observation.”

“The #WatchingTheVote Election series is a platform created towards improving the conversations around electoral processes so as to increase citizens interest and participation in the electoral process as well as strengthen the parternership between the citizens and Election Management Bodies (EMB) said Itodo.

Former INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega who was the Chairperson at the forum said during his keynote address that “in as much as we desire stronger democratic system, Nigerians must refrain from any form of negativity, so as not cause demoralisation within the Democratic process in Nigeria.

Jega also blamed several challenges that had undermined the electoral processes on the excesses of the political aspirants and their cohorts.

He however, suggested that Nigeria must seek ways to contain these excesses within the political space, if they want 2019 elections to be free, fair and credible.

Other panelists at the forum were Dan Nwayanwu, Hassan Idayat, Director, Centre for Democracy and Development, Jude Ilo, Country Director, Open Society Initiatives for West Africa (OSIWA) amongst other top speakers.