US does not support any candidate, say officials

The United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, and two other senior administrative officers; USAID Administrator Samantha Power, and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield; have said that the US does not support any in the forthcoming general election in Nigeria.

In a 58-second solidarity video posted to its verified social media handles on Wednesday, the US government, which said Nigerians had a chance to make their voices heard and choose their future in the general election, stressed that, “…we strongly support a peaceful election that reflects the will of the people of Nigeria”, adding that free and fair elections in Nigeria “help create a freer and fairer world for everyone.”

“Nigeria’s Constitution, like America’s, begins with a simple and profound idea: ‘We the people’. And during this election, you, the people of Nigeria, have a chance to make your voices heard, to choose your future.

“The United States does not support any candidate for office, but we strongly support a peaceful election that reflects the will of the people of Nigeria, because free and fair elections in Nigeria help create a freer and fairer world for everyone,” the US officials said.

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They added that, “Your vote matters. This election matters — not only to Nigerians, but to the rest of the world.”

While assuring that Nigeria has a friend and partner in the US, the officials said the US was invested in Nigeria’s success as the shared democratic futures of both countries depended on it.

“We’re invested in your success. Our shared democratic futures depends on it.

“Go to inecnigeria.org to prepare to vote because your voice matters.

“The Nigerian people have a friend and partner in the United States of America,” the US said.

Nigerians are marching to the poll on Saturday, February 25, to elect a president among 18 candidates vying for the top job with four of them: Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, widely regarded as front runners in the election.

Also to be elected on Saturday are members of the federal parliament comprising the House of Representatives and Senate.

Governorship elections will also take place on March 11 in most of the 36 states in the country — aside from states where off-season elections had been earlier held — with the voters also casting ballots for state lawmakers in all the states.