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A member of the United States house of
representatives, Chris Smith says the reports of
the harassment of opposition leaders are
extremely concerning, In a resolution to encourage
peaceful elections, Smith appealed to
stakeholders to be committed to peace.
He said the elections are critical to the future of
the country and should therefor be free and fair.
“Reports of President Muhamadu Buhari’s
apparent crackdown on non-violent protests and
harassment of opposition leaders are extremely
concerning, as well as the ongoing violence that
has been perpetrated by extremists, particularly in
the Middle Belt region,” he said.
“The violence must be stopped, along with any
subversion of the electoral process. The Nigerian
government must see to free and fair elections,
which this resolution calls for.”
Karen Bassm, Steve Chabot who co-chairs the
Nigeria caucus, Elliot Engel, chairman of the
house committee on foreign affairs, are among
those serving on the subcommittee on Africa.
“It is in the best interest of the United States to
maintain a strong bilateral relationship with a
politically stable, democratic, and economically
sound Nigeria that can play a leadership role in
the region and the continent more broadly,” Bass
said in a statement.
“A credible, transparent and peaceful election this
coming February would further consolidate
democratic gains achieved over the last two
decades. Nigerians are deeply committed to
democracy and ensuring transparency in electoral
preparations, which would build public confidence
in the electoral process.
“This resolution sends the message that the
people of the United States will continue to stand
with the people of Nigeria in support of peace and
democracy.”
For Engel, this legislation reaffirms US’ long-
standing commitment to strengthening democracy
in Nigeria.
“In 2015, Nigeria became another democratic role
model for countries on the continent, showing
that a credible electoral process could result in
the peaceful transition of power from an
incumbent to the opposition,” he said.
“Regardless of the outcome, my hope for the
upcoming presidential, gubernatorial, and National
Assembly elections is that Nigerian politicians,
citizens, and the electoral commission will build
on the successes of 2015 to further consolidate
democracy in Nigeria.”
On his part, Chabot said there is still work to be
done to ensure the elections are transparent,
peaceful, and credible.
He said the resolution lays out the necessary
steps to achieve these goals, and urged Nigeria to
conduct elections free of violence.
On Thursday, the US had raised concern over the
handling of security in the elections.
Source:
www.nationalhelm.co/2019/01/us-
lawmaker-tells-nigerian-government-what-to-do-
ahead-of-election.html