According to the official, the United States Government is impressed by the commitment, even handedness, and diligence exhibited by INEC thus far in the election cycle.
The United States government has threatened to impose sanctions including visa restrictions, on politicians planning to interfere with the democratic processes or instigate violence in the 2023 general elections.
SaharaReporters had reported that the United Kingdom also issued same warning to Nigerian politicians, while cautioning against violence to undermine the 2023 general elections.
The Political Counsellor at the United States Embassy in Nigeria, Rolf Olson, gave the US warning on Monday in Abuja at the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Alumni Association Annual Seminar 2022 on “Promoting electoral integrity in Nigeria: Prospects and challenges”.
Olson, who spoke on behalf of the United States Government, backed the Independent National Electoral Commission's decision to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and Electronic transmission of results, adding that it would ensure the integrity of Nigerian elections.
He maintained that the United States government did not have a preferred candidate in the upcoming elections. He, however, noted that its interest was to see a credible election that would reflect the wills of Nigerian masses.
Daily Sun quoted Olson to have said “It never ceases to amaze me how often we see comments, claims, and assertions from people in social and traditional media about what our supposed objectives are in the elections, which candidate or party we favour, how to interpret certain statements or actions of ours in terms of what it means about our intentions are perceptions.
“In reality, I think it’s quite simple to interpret us, especially when it comes to the elections. We always try to be clear in our messages, so let me be clear here on several important points. The United States does not support any individual candidate or party in this election cycle (or for that matter, in any other upcoming election).
"Our interest is in supporting credible and transparent elections that reflect the will of Nigerian voters, in a process that is conducted peacefully. Full stop. Individuals seeking to undermine the democratic process, including through violence, may be found ineligible for visas to the United States.
“We have imposed visa restrictions in the past against those responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process, and remain fully willing to do so again in the context of the upcoming elections.”
Olson expressed government’s disappointment at the series of unproductive criticism directed at INEC and its officials in recent months, and which only seems to have expanded of late.
According to the official, the United States Government is impressed by the commitment, even handedness, and diligence exhibited by INEC thus far in the election cycle.
He added that while nobody needs to forfeit their right to express legitimate concerns about the process or about the conduct of INEC, the rhetoric attacking INEC’s motives or overall competence is unhelpful.
He advised parties, candidates, and their supporters to avoid language that tries to “guarantee” victory, adding that there is no true democratic election in which the outcome is foretold.
Applauding the deployment of BVAS in the coming elections, Olson, said that one of the most critical steps in conducting credible elections is confirming that the individual standing at the polling unit attempting to vote is who they say they are.
According to him, the BVAS virtually eliminates the possibility of any systematic effort to replace real voters with impostors.
“It has not yet been used on a national scale, only in the off-cycle gubernatorial and other elections in the past year or so and we encourage INEC to make every effort to provide the training necessary to ensure its smooth operation on election day.
"The other feature is the electronic transmission of results from individual polling units of the vote results sheet. In one of my most recent overseas diplomatic assignments, I witnessed firsthand the benefit of having this kind of system to help ensure that the announced results reflect the actual results.
“The BVAS and the electronic transmission of vote results sheets are incredibly important steps forward in seeking to ensure the integrity of Nigerian elections, and we welcome both the Electoral Act’s empowerment of INEC to employ the technical and other means it deems necessary, secure, and appropriate to ensure credible elections and INEC’s willingness to do so.”