On the 19th of February, 3 days after the Nigerian Presidential Elections were scheduled to hold, a South African based election observer group known as the Pan African Women Projects, appealed to the Nigerian immigration service to extend the visas of all foreign observers.

Following the INEC Chairman’s announcement of the election postponement, several individual election observers and organisations have been forced to apply for a visa extension in order to remain in the country to observe the polls on the new dates.

According to a report published on Channels TV, the group’s publicity secretary, Mphoentle Keitseng, appealed to the country’s immigration service to grant visa extensions to all foreign observers at a press briefing in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.

“The Nigerian government should instruct the Comptroller General of Immigration to extend the visas for all foreign observers enabling to stay until the March the 9th 2019 general elections,” remarked Ms. Keitseng.

She went on to add: “Many measures are put in place by different observer groups to ensure that the 2019 general elections will be transparent and credible and should meet all international standards. As such, further postponement should be avoided.”

In what must have been a relief to all foreign observers, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration service, announced earlier today that the federal government has approved the visa fee waiver for accredited observers and monitors of the country’s upcoming general elections. Muhammad Babandede (the Comptroller-General) announced this in a press statement released this morning.

Mr. Babandede noted that waiver is being applied in consideration of the plight of accredited observers and monitors who were caught unawares by the election postponement.

The Comptroller-General advised all foreign observers who wish to travel hassle-free in this period to visit the Nigerian Immigration Service service desk at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.