UK, Japan, others urge parties to accept election results

Foreign countries have advised political parties to accept the results of the elections that will be announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission in good faith.

This was contained in a joint-statement obtained by our correspondent from the Diplomatic Missions of the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Canada, and Norway.

They also urged parties to channel their grievances through appropriate channels after the election.

The candidates of various political parties vying for presidency on Wednesday signed the second Peace Accord organised by the Abdulsalami Abubakar-led Peace Committee.

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In attendance were presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Peter Obi; the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu; the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore; and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, among others.

According to the Diplomatic Missions, the signing of the Peace Accord was vital for Nigeria’s stability and democratic consolidation.

The foreign countries also warned political parties to respect electoral laws and shun violence as they sign the second peace accord.

It read in part “The Diplomatic Missions of the United States, Australia, Japan, Norway, Canada and the United Kingdom in Nigeria welcome the signing of the second Peace Accord by the candidate parties competing in the upcoming Presidential Election of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and fully commit to supporting all efforts that will ensure the Nigerian people decide who wins the election.

“We believe it is vital for Nigeria’s stability and democratic consolidation that the process is conducted and concluded safely, fairly and credibly. We encourage all actors to intervene proactively to calm any tensions and avoid any violence in the periods before, during and after the elections

“We call on all officials at federal and local levels in Nigeria to respect the human and democratic rights of its citizens. We strongly condemn any actions that undermine the peaceful and transparent conduct of the electoral process. We call on parties to respect electoral laws and institutions and take a firm stand against violence and hate speech by their supporters.

“We further urge all presidential candidates and political parties to live up to their commitments under the second Peace Accord to accept the results of the election as announced by INEC and to pursue any challenge of the results through the appropriate legal channels.”

They called on security agencies to provide a conducive and safe environment during and after the election.

The statement read “We ask the security services in Nigeria to do their utmost to protect that process and prevent and deter attacks against INEC facilities, materials and personnel.

“We call on all officials, including the law enforcement authorities, to ensure a safe and conducive environment for the exercise of public freedoms – including the freedom of opinion and expression, the freedom of peaceful assembly and the freedom of association – all of which are essential in democratic societies, in particular in the context of elections. Law enforcement authorities should remain visibly neutral and respond in a proportionate manner to any election-related incidents.”