Notwithstanding some technological difficulties, Catriona Laing, the departing British High Commissioner to Nigeria, stated on Tuesday that Nigerians should be proud of the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections.
After paying a goodbye visit to the Senate president, Ahmad Lawan, at the National Assembly, Abuja, Laing Liang made this statement while taking questions from reporters.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to submit election results to its webpage as promised, raising questions about results collation openness in some circles.
Notwithstanding certain political players’ opposition to the 2023 election process, the British envoy found Nigeria’s democracy to be intriguing.
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When asked what she thought of Nigeria and democracy, Liang responded, “Nigeria’s politics are simply so intriguing. I came here for the prior election, and I’ll leave with this one. The democratic transition in Nigeria has really impressed me.
“Sure, there have been some hiccups, but generally I think this is good and Nigerians should be proud. Just watching Nigerian politics is intriguing. The main point I want to make is that Nigeria is the largest democracy in Africa. The world follows your transition to democracy.
“I believe that Nigerians should be proud generally, notwithstanding certain electoral disappointments.
The British representative informed Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House of Representatives, that the Election Act of 2022 was a huge accomplishment for the legislature.
Earlier in his speech, Senate President Ahmad Lawan urged the new 10th National Assembly to retain a bipartisan approach while prioritising the interests of the country in its considerations.
Speaker Gbajabiamila stated that the house and the departing British High Commissioner had a strong connection and added, “We shall miss you.
