In preparation for the 2024 Ondo State gubernatorial election, the European Union Support to Democratic Governance Nigeria through its implementing partner Justice, Development and Peace Makers Centre, Osogbo organized a 2-day training session aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
Held at BON Hotel Royal Parklane, Akure, the training focused on equipping 19 participants including 16 local government-based trackers and 3 investigative journalists—with the skills to monitor campaign expenditures and the use of state administrative resources. This initiative is part of broader efforts to enhance election integrity ahead of the November 16, 2024, election.
The training aimed to build the capacity of participants to effectively monitor and report campaign finance activities in the lead-up to the November 16, 2024, Ondo governorship election. It also addressed the misuse of state administrative resources during the election period, with a focus on promoting fairness and transparency in the electoral process.
During the sessions, participants were introduced to the concept of campaign finance tracking, including its importance in ensuring that political parties and candidates adhere to legal spending limits. The training employed the “Parallel Expense Tracking” methodology, a proven system for monitoring political spending. In addition, participants were trained on how to use the **JUST-Watcher** mobile application, a tool designed to streamline the tracking and reporting of campaign expenditures in real-time.
Mr. Adeyemi Adebayo, the lead facilitator, emphasized the critical role that campaign finance trackers will play in preventing illegal financial practices during the election. “By monitoring and reporting campaign expenditures, we can hold political parties accountable and curb practices such as vote buying, which undermines the integrity of our electoral process,” he said.
The trained campaign finance trackers will be deployed across the state for a four-month period to monitor the expenditures of selected political party candidates. They will specifically track campaign finance violations and any cases of vote buying or selling. This initiative is seen as a crucial step toward ensuring a free, fair, and credible election in Ondo State.
One of the participants, an investigative journalist, described the training as a vital tool for upholding electoral integrity. “This training has equipped us with the skills and knowledge to effectively monitor campaign finance activities and report violations. It’s a significant step toward ensuring that the upcoming election is conducted transparently,” she said.
The Ondo governorship election is scheduled for November 16, 2024, and the deployment of these trained trackers is part of a larger effort led by the EU-SDGn programme to promote accountability and transparency throughout the electoral process.
