The Federal Government has sought the support of the European Union in its quest to deepen and consolidate its democratic practices, particularly as it concerns its electoral processes.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, CON, made the appeal while receiving in audience the delegation from the European Union Election Observation Mission led by its Chief Observer, Barry Andrews, in his office.
In a statement by the Director of Information, OSGF, Willie Bassey, the SGF said the nation has enjoyed a considerable improvement in its electoral processes over the years and therefore appealed for support to consolidate on the gains so far achieved since the return to democratic rule in the country.
“The SGF thanked the European Union Observation Mission for participating in the 2023 General Election across the country and emphasised the importance of the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System in the electoral process, which was a game changer during the election.
Akume observed that the country made a lot of progress in the 2023 general elections and called on the EU to continue to support such progress made to advance democratic principles in the country,” the statement added.
Speaking earlier, the Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission, Barry Andrews, said the purpose of their visit was to present their final report of the 2023 General Election, which they monitored after their deployment to Nigeria.
He added that the report, which comprises six priority recommendations, includes constitutional, legislative, and administrative.
He further said that in furtherance of their report on the 2023 General Election, the EU EOM will have a follow-up mission to Nigeria after two years to engage with Nigeria’s authorities on the status of the implementation of its recommendations.
Also speaking, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and to the Economic Community of West African States, Samuela Isopi, said that the EU has been supportive of the nation’s return to democracy and has been working with INEC and other key stakeholders to bolster democracy.
He added that the union is ready to sustain its support in deepening its electoral processes and to also invest in other key sectors of the nation’s economy.
