UN, US, ECOWAS Parliament Upbeat At Nigerian Elections Amid Difficulties

The United Nations (UN) System in Nigeria, the US Mission in Nigeria and the ECOWAS Parliament are upbeat about the February 25 and March 11 general elections in Nigeria amid threat of violence, the difficulties occasioned by the lingering fuel scarcity and the naira redesign.

During the first quarterly briefing of the diplomatic community convened by the UN System in Abuja on Wednesday February 8, the UN Resident Coordinator Matthias Schmale, underscored the importance of peaceful and credible elections for the consolidation of Nigeria’s democracy and that of the African region.

He restated the UN commitment to supporting Nigeria in ensuring peaceful, credible, and inclusive elections in 2023, even as it raised concerns about a possible adverse effect of the fuel scarcity and the difficulties brought about by the currency redesign and threats of violence.

Schmale noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had made some significant progress in preparing and administering elections, saying “we need to acknowledge the significance of this. At the same time, INEC is facing some challenges for instance around logistics, power supply, employing and deploying the right personnel at the right time.”

The UN Resident Coordinator also expressed concern about some strong statements of intolerance and hate speech across party lines in public space and urged all political parties and their candidates to exercise caution and to adhere to the terms of the peace accord they have signed.

On her part, US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard in her article entitled, “The Elections Are Almost Here.  It’s Up to You to Choose Your Next Leaders”, urged Nigerian registered voters to vote in the elections of February and March.    She added that the Nigerian people are fortunate to live in a country where they hold the power to determine the country’s next leader, but with that comes the responsibility to be involved, informed, and make their votes count.   

“Since 1999, Nigeria has demonstrated a strong commitment to peaceful, credible, inclusive, and transparent elections.  Last year President Buhari and key stakeholders signed the Electoral Act of 2022, strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system and cementing Nigeria as a democratic leader in a region that has been experiencing backsliding.  The U.S. government applauds that Act, which formally granted INEC the ability to use “BVAS” – the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System – to accredit voters and transmit election results electronically. 

“This type of system is a proven method to significantly reduce the potential for electoral fraud.  We also welcomed the law’s provisions that facilitate voting by persons with disabilities, which are an important step towards ensuring accessibility for all voters.  These developments are just some of the reasons the United States has confidence in Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) ability to organize and conduct credible and transparent elections.   

The US envoy also restated that the US has taken steps to impose visa restrictions against those responsible, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process in the past, and remain willing to do so again going forward.   

In a similar development, the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) urged the Nigerian government and the citizens to exemplify a model of transparent and peaceful elections in this month’s Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

The Speaker of the ECOWAS parliament, Sidie Mohammed Tunis, made this call at the closing of the fifth Legislature of ECOWAS Parliament Extraordinary session in Guinea Bissau.

He said “Permit me to reiterate my earlier calls on our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and other Member States who are going into major elections this year, to uphold the spirit and tenets of sportsmanship, transparency, and accountability.

“Let us bear in mind that election is not a do or die affair, rather it provides a golden opportunity for our citizens to cast their votes to elect credible leaders of their choice and not disrupt the electoral processes through violence and destruction of lives and properties.”

Despite the optimism the election climate is bedeviled by killings and burning of INEC facilities across the states. There is also a litany of hate speeches and belligerent language from some leading political figures, leading to violent attacks on opponents.

These ugly developments cast a serious foreboding on the elections, especially the  February 25 Presidential elections that pundits said will perhaps be the most keenly contested in the history of the country.