The 2019 general elections are here. The campaign fireworks have been raging. However, the concerns around the role of the international community has become topical. It goes without saying that the federal government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have had course to query the nature of interventions by the international community on some issues, chief of which is the recent suspension of Justice Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria. The international community, as represented by the European Union, United States and the United Kingdom, hinged it’s concerns over Onnoghen’s suspension on the timing of the action which it considered too close to the elections. They feared that the suspension could affect the elections. However, the federal government and the APC believes that the reaction of the international community bothered on unhealthy interference. For a goverment that strongly campaigned (and still campaigns) on the war against graft, it considered the intervention of the foreigner partners over its move to remove the Onnoghen over alleged misconduct as intervention taken too far. The scenario seems to be evolving into a cold relationship between the leadership of the party and the foreigners. Besides the recent concern raised by the national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, on the role of foreigners in the course of the election season, the recent outburst by the Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai targeted at foreign observers has raised alot of reactions. The governor had warned that the foreign interveners that they would be carry back home in “body bags”. El-Rufai had said on National Television Authority’s Tuesday Live, that Nigeria is an independent country and doesn’t need foreigners telling her what to do. “Those that are calling for anyone to come and intervene in Nigeria, we are waiting for the person that would come and intervene, they would go back in body bags,” the Kaduna state governor said. While the government and the APC has backed the governor statement, the opposition PDP and a number of opposition parties under the aegies Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) have reacted against the comment and even threatened to pull out of the Peace Accord deal signed by the parties under the National Peace Accord arrangement. But the response of the EU to el-Rufai’s statements shows they are bent on staying put to observe the elections just as they have done since 1999. The European Union Election Observation Mission has insisted that Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai’s threat that foreigners who try to intervene in the forthcoming 2019 election will leave in “body bags” will not stop it from observing the poll. It said “We are aware of the comments by the Governor of #Kaduna about non-interference by foreigners during a talk show on #NigeriaDecides2019 on 5/2/19,” EU said on Twitter on Wednesday. “The #EU only deploys an election observation mission when it is invited to do so by the authorities of a country. “The EU has been invited to observe all of the general elections in #Nigeria since 1999. Thus this is the sixth time the EU is observing elections in Nigeria. @inecnigeria invited the EU to deploy an observation mission for @NigeriaDecides2019.” However the interest of the international community in what becomes of Nigeria after the election can’t be over stated. While the need to ensure that democracy is entrenched in the country as can best be reflected in a transparent, credible and violence-free electoral process, the larger concern of a humanitarian crisis that could engulf the entire western African region and beyond, makes the proactive intervention of international partners expedient. This much they understand it would seem. Already, the Head of ECOWAS Observer Mission to Nigeria and former Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has, met with the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) Yakubu Mahmood at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, where she promised to help ensure a peaceful, free and fair elections in Nigeria. What’s more, former president of United States, Bill Clinton is expected to deliver keynote at the signing of the National Peace Accord. The National Peace Committee, invited Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America and Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth, to visit Nigeria from 12 to 13 February 2019 ahead of the Nigerian presidential elections. Both President Clinton and Baroness Scotland will deliver goodwill messages at the signing ceremony of the “National Peace Accord”, which will hold at Abuja International Conference Centre on 13 February. President Clinton is expected to hold meetings with President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice-President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar. Also, the former Tanzanian President, Dr Jakaya Kikwete will lead the Commonwealth Observer Group to the Commission for a meeting with INEC. In all, as much as the integrity of the country must be protected, the quest for free, fair, credible elections cannot be compromised.
