According to Catriona Laing, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, the British government is working with Nigeria to hold legitimate elections in 2023.
Laing said the UK would closely watch 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 have free and fair elections in 2023 when the revised Electoral Act was put into effect.
She said that by ensuring that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) followed the proper procedures and collaborating with civil society organizations to engage in lobbying, the UK government has been assisting the electoral process in Nigeria.
UK is assisting Nigeria in holding fair elections in 2023, according to the High Commissioner
“And it has been crucial, without a doubt. The young people now feel considerably more assured that their votes will be counted as a result of that law’s passage and the ability for electronic voting transmission.
“So we gave that support, we support civil society, we push for the YIAGA not too young to run campaign with U.S. partners, and we have been helping women groups in particular, to encourage young women, more women to try and run for political seats.
“We encourage voters to appreciate the significance of casting a ballot by sponsoring voter education. As a result, we participate in numerous ways.
“I should note that we usually declare that we will be watching every election closely with our American colleagues, and we will do so for this one as well.
And if we discover that a person has been directly involved in violence or has incited violence, we can utilize our visa program to guarantee that they are not permitted to enter the UK.
So, in addition to our good levers, we also have some negative ones, Laing stated.
The high commissioner emphasized that the visa restrictions against those who violate electoral laws continue to be a very effective method of discouraging people from using electoral violence.
She continued by saying that the political parties support the policy.
“They (visa bans) definitely have an impact. I obviously can’t discuss specific names, but I can promise you that we have used it and that its primary purpose is to discourage people.
The major parties claim that they believe it to be effective. In fact, both the APC and the PDP assured me they supported it during the last election.
We would apply this to anyone who may be involved in violence because we are entirely unbiased, 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 largest democracy in both your region of the world, where democracy is slipping, and Africa.
“Looking at what’s going on in Mali, Guinea, and other countries, the coups, the presidents who aren’t resigning when their terms are up, as well as Nigeria’s journey to democracy since 1999, you know, it’s been bumpy at times,” he said.
“But you’ve kept going in that direction, and that sends a very, very important signal to Africa that if Nigeria, the continent’s largest democracy, can do it despite all the difficulties presented by its 36 states, the complexity of its ethnic and religious diversity, and other factors, so can they.
“While there is no perfect election in the world, the path continues. And I have a lot of faith that the upcoming election will be legitimate, Laing continued.
