The Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, has reiterated that the EU delegation is not in Nigeria to select a leader for the country in the February 16 elections.
He also maintained that the EU had no political aspiration in the country stressing that it was only committed to the conduct of free and fair elections in the country.
Karlsen made the comments during a courtesy visit to Gov. Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State in Yenagoa on Friday, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the governor on Media, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei.
The statement quoted the EU Ambassador as saying that Nigeria sent a strong message to the international community with the outcome of the 2015 general elections that it was possible to have elections with acceptable results.
“We are visiting at this important moment ahead of the Presidential elections and of course the state elections in so many parts of Nigeria to express to you the Governor, and your team the importance that we attach to have a free, fair and credible, peaceful and transparent elections in Nigeria.
“We are strong believers in the consolidation of democracy as the best if not the only way to continue stability and development and creation of opportunities for ordinary Nigerians. And that is why we reiterate again and again that for the EU and the international community at large, we are not here to select the leadership of Nigeria. That cannot be and should not be our aspiration.
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“Our only desire is to see to a fair process of the election in this country because that is what is providing that legitimacy of the democratically elected government, whether at the federal or state level. And Nigeria demonstrated wonderfully in the last election in 2015 how the outcome of a democratic election can prevail. That message was very powerful within Nigeria but it resonated far, far beyond the borders of Nigeria, to West Africa and to the world,” Karlsen said.
In his response, Dickson commended the EU and its partner agencies for embarking on various projects that support and promote the course of development and stability in communities.
According to him, Bayelsa has been a beneficiary of such projects.
The governor however, expressed concern over the conduct of security agencies in the forthcoming elections.
