By Jude Opara, Abuja
Ahead of the November 5 presidential election in the United States of America (USA), the national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Barrister Julius Abure has joined other political leaders across the world to monitor the election.
The stage is already set for the high stake election, with the two candidates, Vice-President Kamla Harris of the Democratic Party and former president, Donald Trump, representing the Republican Party, in a neck to neck run.
Abure in a message in his verified Twitter handle writes, “I’ve just arrived Washington DC on the US Government invitation to join other political parties and world leaders to participate in the series of activities leading to the USA election and to observe the election. Hopefully, experience gathered will help shape and reshape election processes in Nigeria. I’ll keep all my followers and Labour Party members informed of developments.”
In a statement on Sunday, the National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh said the Country Director, The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Nigeria, Seray Jah, had extended an invitation to Abure to monitor the election.
The letter stated; “I am writing to invite you to participate in the 2024 IFES United States Election Program (USEP), which will take place from Sunday, November 3 to Wednesday, November 6 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington. DC.
“Every U.S. Presidential Election, IFES hosts its U.S. Election Program, gathering electoral stakeholders from around the world to learn firsthand about the American election process and discuss democracy and elections from comparative international perspectives—the 2016 Election Program — the last in-person Program — featured 550 participants from 90 countries.
“The Program features a series of exchanges ahead of Election Day on key concepts and issues impacting elections and germane to elections in every country, specifically focusing on the U.S. case. Participants learn about the decentralized U.S. election experience, election dispute resolution and the role of the Federal Election Commission, the rights of states to conduct elections per their systems and regulations, and the relationship between campaigns, election authorities, candidates, media, and the voters”.
According to the statement, keynote remarks will be given by Hon. M. Peter McPherson, Board Co-Chair, IFES, Anthony N. Banbury, President and CEO, IFES and Anne Applebaum, Journalist and Pulitzer-prize Winning Historian amongst others.
