The US Ambassador to Nigeria, W Stuart Symington has restated that ensuring peaceful elections is most essential to Saturdays, Presidential election.
This is even as the British High Commissioner, Designate to Nigeria, Catriona Liang urged that security agencies to ensure professionalism to enable voters exercise their franchise.
The Envoys made their statements in their remarks at the YIAGA Africa’s Watching The Vote (WTVs) Preliminary Press Conference which held in Abuja yesterday
According to the US Ambassador “We have for weeks talked about free fair, transparent elections, but now lets’ stress peaceful elections, for that is the essential task. We have talked a lot about the importance of security forces but let us talk a little bit about citizens security, let’s talk about what every person can do, what every politician can do by what he/she says or doesn’t say, but also every youth”
“The peace and security we vote tomorrow is the job of all Nigerians, every single one. As you go tomorrow, know that these are your choices and no one else’s. We have no candidate no party except the very democratically process itself which you are doing so much to advance”.
The Ambassador observed that “Citizens vote not only with their ballots but with their actions and their words and encouraged every Nigerian to vote. I hope with all my heart that every Nigeria who has a voter’s card will use that and be part of not just the vote but of the peace.
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Highlighting the US relationship with Nigeria, he said “We know the importance of Nigeria, we care about the future of Nigeria and we do it in a bipartisan way. There are few places in the face of the Earth where every American agrees and this is one the importance of Nigeria and the importance of the future of Africa. The bridge between our nations’ is a bridge of dreams forged of lives and contacts that have stretched over time over thousands of miles
“We seek a future made with Nigeria and America that is better for everyone” he said
Speaking on the use of PVT by the YIAGA Watching the Vote group, he said “The independent Parallel Vote Tabulation proven in other countries around the world and Africa is independence and will reinforce the credibility of the election and will probably make suggestions on how to make it better. But the job is yours and no one else’s”
In her remarks, the British High Commissioner, Designate to Nigeria, Catriona Liang said they had worries pertaining to security and urged candidates to caution their supporters.
In her words “We do have some worries, security is one of them and the role of security is so important that they should act professionally to enable people to vote.
Security in another sense, that security will be emotive in the aftermath because there is a lot at stake, we urge the people, the political parties to encourage their supporters to act responsibly and not to whip people up and linked to that is hate speech itself”
“But if those two things can be managed, we all hope that the elections will go well and reflect the will of the people
Expresing her pride, she said “We have put in nearly 50million pounds since 2014 for democratic governance, 12 million pounds for INEC, the rest has gone on legislative reforms, Civil Societies Advocacy and participation and a further 6million pounds towards inclusion, PWDs and other groups”
