Elections in 2023: Foreign Missions Urge for Calm, Reliable Voting

The diplomatic missions urged all parties to take proactive action to diffuse any conflicts and prevent any violence.

In order to create a secure and favorable atmosphere for the general elections, the diplomatic missions of the United States, Australia, Japan, Norway, Canada, and the United Kingdom in Nigeria have appealed to government officials and law enforcement.

In a statement released on Thursday, the diplomatic missions made the request, pleading with law enforcement officials to maintain objectivity and take appropriate action in the event of any election-related incidents.

“We urge parties to uphold electoral laws and institutions and to take a strong stance against their supporters’ use of violence and hate speech. We call on Nigeria’s security agencies to exert every effort to safeguard this procedure and to stop and deter attacks against INEC buildings, supplies, and people.

The Diplomatic Missions stated that they are completely committed to supporting all measures that will guarantee that the Nigerian people select who wins the election while praising the signature of the second Peace Agreement by the candidates of parties vying for the next presidential election.

They claimed that a secure, impartial, and credible process is essential for Nigeria’s stability and the consolidation of its democracy.

The Missions also urged all participants to take proactive steps to diffuse any conflicts and prevent any violence in the run-up to, during, and after the elections.

They strongly denounced activities that jeopardize the orderly and transparent conduct of the electoral process and called on all federal, state, and municipal officials in Nigeria to uphold the human and democratic rights of the country’s population.

Also, the diplomatic missions urged all presidential candidates and political parties to honor their obligations under the second Peace Agreement by accepting the election results as declared by INEC and pursuing any challenges to the results via the proper legal processes.

A joint statement on the upcoming general elections in Nigeria, scheduled for February 25, 2023, from the diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Japan, Canada, and Norway

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The diplomatic missions of the United States, Australia, Japan, Norway, Canada, and the United Kingdom in Nigeria welcome the signing of the second Peace Accord by the parties vying for the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They also reaffirm their commitment to fully support any efforts made to ensure that the Nigerian people decide who wins the election.

The process must be undertaken and ended in a safe, just, and credible manner in our opinion for Nigeria’s stability and the consolidation of its democratic system. We urge all participants to take proactive action to diffuse any tensions and prevent any violence in the lead-up to, during, and after the elections.

We demand respect for the citizens of Nigeria’s human and democratic rights from all federal and local leaders. We vehemently oppose any activity that jeopardizes the orderly and open conduct of the election.

We enjoin political parties to uphold electoral laws and institutions and to take a strong stance against their followers’ use of violence and hate speech. We call on Nigeria’s security agencies to do all reasonable efforts to safeguard this procedure and stop attempts to harm INEC workers, equipment, or premises.

We demand that all officials, including those in charge of law enforcement, make sure that there is a secure and welcoming environment in which people can exercise their right to free speech, peaceful assembly, and association, all of which are crucial in democratic societies and are especially important in the run-up to elections. All election-related incidents should be handled by law enforcement agencies with a visible neutral stance and a proportionate response.

As part of the second Peace Agreement, all presidential candidates and political parties were urged to accept the election results as announced by INEC and to pursue any challenges to the results through the proper legal processes.

The diplomatic missions of the United States, Australia, Japan, Norway, Canada, and the United Kingdom in Nigeria would like to extend their congratulations to Nigeria for its 24 years of democratic development since 1999, a period in which it has served as a role model for others on the importance of exercising one’s rights under the constitution for the benefit of society. We hope that Nigeria’s democratic tradition would be strengthened by the elections this year.