The United Kingdom government said on Friday it invested more than £50million to support elections in Nigeria in the last five years.
The Head of Governance and Stability, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, Sam Waldock, stated this at a retreat on the Electoral Amendment Bill 2020 in Abuja.
He said the UK was a proud supporter of Nigeria’s democratic process.
Waldock said: “In the last five years, the UK had invested over £50million in Nigeria’s democratic process. We recognise Nigeria as the largest democracy in Africa and a leading member of the Commonwealth of nations.
“It will therefore be good to have a robust comprehensive system in place far ahead of the general election so that adequate preparations could be made.”
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the National Assembly has done a great job by working out a new legal framework for elections in Nigeria.
Yakubu, who was represented by INEC National Commissioner for Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said the commission was committed to the amendment of the Electoral Act.
He said: “However, we must bear in mind that amending the electoral legal framework will not automatically guarantee or lead to an improvement in the management and conduct of elections in Nigeria.”
