UK ready to work with election winner

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, on Wednesday, said they are ready to work with the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

Laing made the pledge after her closed-door meeting with the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, at the APC secretariat in Abuja.

The development is coming barely 80 days before the presidential election in 2023.

18 candidates including the flag bearer of the ruling APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; Labour Party’s poster boy, Peter Obi and New Nigeria Peoples Party’s Rabiu Kwankwaso, are seeking to become the next president at the February 25 poll.

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While addressing journalists with her delegation on Wednesday, Laing said Britain is committed to ensuring a free and fair election in Nigeria.

The envoy also disclosed that she raised concerns about insecurity and the need to have a secure atmosphere for a credible election to happen. 

She said, “We met here today to meet with the APC chairman to pass home our general messages about the 2023 elections. 

“We welcome Nigeria’s commitment to democracy and the President’s commitment to a credible and secure election. Then we talked in a little bit more detail about the conditions necessary for that to happen in these elections and a little bit about the concern around insecurity. 

“You talked about the importance of people actually on the day turning out to vote, encouraging to see that more people registered to vote. They need to turn out to vote on the day and that means no intimidation, a secure environment and people feeling that they can vote for the candidate they want. 

“We as the UK have no vote in this country. Our vote goes to a credible and free election. And we will work with whichever presidential candidate emerges from this. The UK-Nigeria has a very strong and deep partnership and we want Nigeria to succeed and democracy as part of it. That is a success.”