US wants Nigeria to establish election offences tribunal The United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ms Linda Thomas-Greenfield, on Monday, urged the Federal Government to establish an electoral offences tribunal before the 2015 general elections. The News Agency of Nigeria reported that she made the call in Abuja at the opening of the Nigeria-US Bi-National Commission working group’s meeting on good governance, transparency and integrity. Thomas-Greenfield, who led a 23-man team to the third meeting of the group, said the US believed the tribunal would serve as a deterrent to election violence. She said, “We stand with the Nigerian people who say loudly that they will not accept electoral tampering, overly heated rhetoric, vote selling or buying and violence. “I have heard my Nigerian friends say, repeatedly, that anyone who engages in such elections chicanery should be held accountable and they are right. “I encourage Nigeria’s National Assembly to pass legislation that will establish an electoral offences tribunal, legislation that President Goodluck Jonathan proposed when he was Vice-President. “We hope that our continued electoral assistance will give the utmost support to the Nigerian people because they deserve nothing less than elections that reflect their will,’’ she said. The US assistant secretary commended the conduct of the Nigeria Police and security operatives at the November 16 governorship elections in Anambra State. She said, “We have confidence that if the Nigeria Police, the military and other security services are allowed to do their jobs professionally as they did in Anambra, elections can be held safely in Ekiti and Osun states this year. “We also have confidence that come 2015, elections in every polling unit in the country will be safe.’’ Thomas-Greenfield urged the Nigerian electorate to hold politicians, Independent National Electoral Commission, the media, judiciary and security agencies accountable for free and fair elections. She also urged Nigerians to vote according to their conscience “and anyone who witnesses fraud must peacefully report to INEC and the Nigerian judicial system for resolution as nothing justifies violence.’’ The Assistant Secretary of State, who is visiting Nigeria for the third time since her appointment last year as President Barack Obama’s lead diplomat for Africa, said the US and United Kingdom were committed to promoting credible elections in Nigeria. She recalled that in the run-up to Nigeria’s 2011 elections, the US and UK contributed $31.3m to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral management body and civil society groups. “We are proud to have supported the great electoral success you achieved as a nation and as a people,’’ she said. The US envoy reiterated her government’s support to the forthcoming elections in the country, saying it looked forward to working with INEC and other stakeholders. She said the BNC meeting would discuss how to make Nigeria’s 2015 elections “the most peaceful, free, fair and credible elections in its history.” Thomas-Greenfield said the two-day meeting would also feature exchange of ideas among officials. In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Martin Uhomoibhi, said the Federal Government had consistently advocated peaceful and credible elections devoid of violence. He said, “In our history as a nation, we have never seen a leader so transparently committed to ensuring a free, credible and fair election as our President. “The confidence that he reposes in INEC bears eloquent testimony to this conviction and commitment. “In his May 29 address when he took on the mantle of leadership, President Goodluck Jonathan said and I will paraphrase him, “For Africa, the age of liberation and struggle is over. “What is important to us at the moment is to ensure the entrenchment of sustainable democracy.’’ Uhomoibhi said Nigeria would continue to play a leading role in the consolidation of democracy on the continent, citing interventions in Guinea Bissau, Mali and Cote d’Ivoire. February 18, 2014 at 12:55AM
Posted on: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 00:11:07 +0000
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