Skip to main content

Our Election Observation Missions Don’t Interfere in Electoral Process, EU Replies El-Rufai

Alex Enumah in Abuja
The European Union has said its election observation missions are impartial and adhere strictly to its core principle of non interference in the electoral process of any country particularly the forthcoming election in Nigeria.
The EU’s assurance was occasioned by a statement from Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, who had in a television broadcast Tuesday evening threatened foreign nationals who may interfere with the forthcoming elections.
Reacting, the EU EOM in a statement by its Press Officer, Sarah Fradgley, Wednesday said the EU only go to countries to observe elections on invitation, adding that they are in Nigeria based on the fact that the government of Nigeria extended invitation to them to monitor the elections.
“We are aware of the comments by the Governor of Kaduna about non-interference by foreigners during a talk show on the elections Tuesday 5 February.
“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”, the statement said, adding that this is the sixth time the EU is observing elections in Nigeria.
Fradgley said while the EU missions give commentary and analysis, and make recommendations about the electoral process, the “EU election observation missions are impartial, do not interfere in the electoral process, and operate according to a strict code of conduct”.
The statement noted that the security of EU observers was of paramount importance, and will remain under constant review, adding that the EU observers will continue their work across the country in the run-up to – and beyond – the February 16 elections.
“For the last month the mission’s team in Abuja, as well as 40 long-term observers across the country, have followed the elections. We have met with a wide range of candidates, parties, election officials, security agencies, and civil society organisations, and have enjoyed good cooperation at federal and state levels.
“The mission looks at all aspects of the election, including the campaign tone, the transparency of the election administration, the neutrality of security forces, and the independence of the judiciary” the statement added.
El-Rufai was quoted as saying, “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 governor argued that Nigeria’s sovereignty was sacrosanct and the country also respects other nation’s sovereignty. He said Nigeria only intervened militarily in other countries (Liberia and Sierra Leone) when it had international mandate to do so.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

My quest for change made me team up with Buhari — Amaechi

The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, says that his pursuit for change made him to leave his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). Amaechi made the disclosure at the Future Awards Africa held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos last Saturday. He said that he would have done otherwise by staying in PDP and fight for the change, instead, there was a need to cross over to APC because of his belief in President Muhammadu Buhari. “I moved from PDP to APC because I am tired of what is happening in the party, I have the option to stay because of my position as the Chairman of the Governors then. “I can use my position to fight them (PDP) and get what I want because I believe Nigeria was not going in the right direction by then. “My attention and belief shifted to Buhari which was the viable alternative, I believe in the change mantra because it is the only way to improve on what is on ground. “He has not...

Man bags 14 years imprisonment for raping 13-year-old IDP

A middle aged man, Yahaya Umar was yesterday sentenced to 14 years imprisonment by a Borno State High Court for raping a 13-year-old Hajja Ibrahim, an Internally Displaced Person (IDP). According to the charge read by the clerk of the court, the convict, Yahaya Umar lured the victim from Abaganaram IDPs camp in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to one Rainbow Hotel in same Maiduguri city and had forceful sexual intercourse with her. The charge reads, “That you Yahaya Umar (male), on or about 21st September 2016 at about 1900 hours at railway quarters Maiduguri , within the jurisdiction of this honourable court committed rape on one Hajja Ibrahim of IDPs camp Abaganaram primary school , in that you forcefully had sexual intercourse with her and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 283 of the penal code laws of Borno State.” In order to prove its case, the prosecution brought five witnesses to testify and some exhibits were tendered in evidence. Coun...

US donates Vehicles to NDLEA

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has received donation from The United States Government to support the agency. According to a statement on Wednesday by the US Consulate General in Lagos, the gesture was an extension of the US government’s support for the counter-narcotics agency. Items and equipment donated to the NDLEA are three Honda Accord vehicles, three Toyota Hilux trucks, one Toyota Hiace van, one Smith Detection Body Scan Unit, 16 laptop computers and 16 Analyst Notebook Software. Others are 20 digital cameras, five electric bill counters and 25 battery power supply backup. The US Consulate General, John Bray, presenting the items to the Director of Training and Manpower Development, NDLEA, Dr. Linus Opara, stressed on the importance of law enforcement cooperation between the US and Nigeria in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse. “We are pleased to support the NDLEA in its efforts to fight drug trafficking. We share the same objective of...