Catriona Laing, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, stated that the UK government is assisting Nigeria in holding credible elections in 2023.
This information was provided by Laing, who said the UK would closely monitor the elections in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
She expressed hope on behalf of the UK government that Nigeria would hold free and fair elections in 2023 after the revised Electoral Act was put into effect.
She claimed that by ensuring that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) followed the proper procedures and collaborating with civil society organizations to engage in advocacy, the UK government had been assisting the electoral process in Nigeria.
“What I have just said now – the advocacy – is showing Nigerians that we care about their democracy and we are watching it.
“In a practical way, for many elections, we have been supporting INEC – your electoral body – to ensure it has got the necessary systems and processes in place. And in each election, we have seen INEC improve its processes.
“We were the partner who supported the passing of the Electoral Act. It was a project that we funded through legal advisors to help you actually write that Electoral Act and looking at best practice globally.
“And it has been absolutely instrumental. So, with the passing of that, then the possibility for electronic transmission of votes, the young people feel much more confident that their votes will count.
“So we provided that support, we support civil society, the YIAGA not too young to run campaign alongside U.S partners, we advocate that and we have been supporting women groups in particular, to encourage young women, more women to try and stand for political offices.
“We are supporting voter education, encouraging voters to understand the importance of going out to vote. So we are involved in a number of different ways.
“I should say we always say that each election alongside our U.S partners that we will have eyes on; we will be monitoring this election closely on the ground and through other means.
“And if we understand that an individual has been involved in violence, either directly or through inciting violence, we can use our visa programme to ensure that that person is not allowed to travel to the UK.
“So we do have some negative levers as well as our positive levers,” Laing said.
The high commissioner emphasized that the visa sanctions against those who violate electoral laws continue to be an extremely effective method of discouraging people from using electoral violence.
She continued by saying that the political parties support the policy.
“They (visa sanctions) absolutely do work. Obviously, I cannot talk about individual names, but I can assure you we have used it and the whole point of it is to deter people.
“The political parties tell me that they think it does work. In fact, during the last election, both APC and the PDP told me they welcomed it.
“We are completely neutral and we would apply this to whoever may be engaged in violence,” she said.
The Nigerian government must set the pace, especially for the sub-region where democratic transitions are under threat, according to the British envoy, who described Nigeria’s democracy as essential to the expansion of democratic rule on the African continent.
“Nigeria is the biggest democracy in Africa and your part of the world where democracy is backsliding.
“Looking at what is happening in Mali, Guinea and others, the coups, and the presidents who are refusing to step down when their term ends, as well as Nigeria’s journey to democracy since 1999, you know, it’s been rocky at times.
“But you have continued on that pathway and that sends a very, very important signal to Africa, that if Nigeria can do it – the biggest democracy in Africa with all the challenges you have with 36 states, and with the complexity of ethnicity and religion, and so on – they can do it too.
“No election in the world is perfect, nevertheless, the journey continues. And I am really hopeful that the next election will be credible,” Laing added.
