February 8, 2023

Justice, Development and Peace Maker Centre (JDPMC), Osogbo Catholic Diocese in collaboration with the European Union (EU), on Wednesday inaugurated election monitoring Mobile application(App) ahead of the general elections.

JDPMC’s General Coordinator, Rev. Fr. Peter Akinkunmi, said the App code named “Just-Watcher Mobile Application” would be used to check gender-based violence as well as vote buying before, during and after the elections.

Speaking at the inauguration held at the JDPMC centre in Osogbo, Akinkunmi, said that the App would further help to strengthen capacity for data gathering and ensure credibility in the process of information dissemination.

The cleric noted that 237 election watchers from Osun, Ekiti and Oyo states have been trained to provide and report first hand information to a situation room named ” Survivor Service Centre” on the day of each of the elections.

“The application was launched to challenge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as electoral body and also to challenge ourselves as Civil Society Organisation.

“And this is to ensure that our process of election observation, recommendations and contributions, information gathering and dissemination are credible.

“Our information gathering and dissemination must be credible and reliable because CSOs are important partners when it comes to development of democracy.

“We should be seen as the voice of the people and say things the way they are and that is why we are launching this application to ensure credibility in the process of data gathering”, he said.

In his presentation, Mr Festus Ojewumi, Project Manager of EU- Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria(SDGN), said the mobile App was developed to report and track gender-based violence before, during and after the election in Osun, Ekiti and Oyo.

Ojewumi said it would also be used to report election processes at different polling units on the election day.

He said the app can be accessed via http://-j-watcher.org/APK/Just-Watcher.apk.

Participants at the inauguration of App commended JDPMC and EU for their commitment in strengthening the electoral process in the country.

The highlights of the events was the official opening of Survivor Service Centre, which will serve as the situation room on the day of the election.(NAN)