US Opposed To February Polls Shift | United States of America By - TopicsExpress



          

US Opposed To February Polls Shift | United States of America By George Agba, Raliat Ahmed-Yusuf — Jan 26, 2015 | 0 Comments With just 20 days to the 2015 polls, the United States of America has said that it would not support any form of postponement of the already scheduled date of February 14, 2015, for elections in Nigeria. The United States made its position known through its secretary of state, John Kerry, who was in Lagos yesterday to meet with the two flag bearers of the two major political parties, President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP and General Muhammadu Buhari of the APC respectively. The meeting took place at the instance of the US in Lagos, though reasons for that are not clear at press time. LEADERSHIP recalls that the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki had recently suggested the postponement of the elections, a decision that received heavy criticism from the public. President Jonathan was said to have assured Kerry of Nigeria’s commitment to working with the U.S. government in ensuring that next month’s general elections are free of violence. Kerry, who was in the country to discuss issues bordering on the 2015 general elections, had separate meetings with Jonathan and Buhari. An APC chieftain who was at the meeting disclosed to LEADERSHIP that while the U.S. was particular about violence-free polls, it was also interested in who will end the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. More than 5,000 people have been killed in Boko Haram-related violence, and three hundred thousand have been displaced since 2009. At the meeting between Kerry and President Jonathan, he assured Mr Kerry of Nigeria’s readiness to work with America to ensure that the Boko Haram terrorist activities are contained in the country. The meeting between Kerry and the two presidential flag bearers is said to be an indication of the U.S.’ deep concerns about post-election violence in the country. Mr. Kerry’s brief visit is a departure from the U.S. policy that disallows its senior officials from visiting countries about to hold elections, to avoid the perception of supporting one candidate against another. This is the first time a chief American diplomat is visiting the country since 2012leadership.ng/news/406531/opposed-february-polls-shift
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 08:58:38 +0000

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