The United Nations (UN) System in Nigeria, the US Mission in Nigeria and the ECOWAS Parliament are upbeat about the February 25 and March 11 general elections in Nigeria amid threat of violence, the difficulties occasioned by the lingering fuel scarcity and the naira redesign.
During the first quarterly briefing of the diplomatic community convened by the UN System in Abuja on Wednesday February 8, the UN Resident Coordinator Matthias Schmale, underscored the importance of peaceful and credible elections for the consolidation of Nigeria’s democracy and that of the African region.
He restated the UN commitment to supporting Nigeria in ensuring peaceful, credible, and inclusive elections in 2023, even as it raised concerns about a possible adverse effect of the fuel scarcity and the difficulties brought about by the currency redesign and threats of violence.
Schmale noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had made some significant progress in preparing and administering elections, saying “we need to acknowledge the significance of this. At the same time, INEC is facing some challenges for instance around logistics, power supply, employing and deploying the right personnel at the right time.”
