The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, has called for peaceful gubernatorial election in Kaduna State on Saturday, March 9.
The US envoy stated this on Monday in Kaduna in an interview shortly after a meeting with Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i.
The ambassador said he was in Kaduna again with the simple message of reminding citizens to remain peaceful after the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
He stressed that what is required ”when the election is over and people look back on it, is saying things akin to joy and love.”
Symington said that democracy was more than just about elections but its aftermath.
“Just like the slogan said by people in different ways, ‘vote don’t fight or elections are not war,” he stressed.
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He added that election was a partnership which should not just be between people and government but people and each other, saying that its the community that binds the State or Nation as one.
In a separate interview, Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i said though the upcoming elections were on local issues, the ambassador’s message of peace was enduring.
El-Rufa’i urged the people to disappoint the nay sayers by conducting themselves peacefully during the Saturday Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections.
He thanked the people for their peaceful conduct during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state, despite series of conflicts before the polls.
The governor appealed for calm before, during and after the polls, and urged the people to emphasise on their common humanity rather than some primordial considerations.
El-Rufa’i also urged the electorate to come out in their numbers on Saturday and vote peacefully.
The governor also prayed for God’s best candidate who will take Kaduna to the path of development and progress, to win the election.
