The European Union (EU) has reaffirmed its commitment to bolstering democratic governance in Nigeria, emphasizing the need for significant improvements in the country’s electoral process.
While acknowledging the challenges faced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2023 General Election, the EU highlighted that the conduct and quality of the elections fell short of INEC’s own standards and expectations. This was articulated by Samuela Isopi, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, during the inaugural Steering Committee meeting of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Programme in Abuja.
Isopi underscored the essential role of the EU-SDGN cohort’s support during the elections and called for increased efforts from all stakeholders to enhance democratic governance in Nigeria. “There are important lessons learned from the elections last year,” she stated, noting that INEC’s assessment aligned with both domestic and international observation missions.
The EU Ambassador stressed the importance of continuing to support and invest in Nigeria’s democracy, especially given the region’s challenges. “We want to continue to support and invest in Nigeria, the largest democracy on the continent, as a message about the importance and vitality of democracy in West Africa,” Isopi added.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, expressed concerns over the high number of court cases challenging party primaries, which often result in withdrawals, wasting the Commission’s time and resources. He advocated for better internal democracy within political parties to improve the election process. “Election is a multi-stakeholder responsibility,” Yakubu emphasized, urging for dialogue with political parties to enhance candidate nomination processes.
The Programme Steering Committee, co-chaired by Isopi and Yakubu, includes representatives from the EU Delegation to Nigeria and EU-SDGN II beneficiaries, providing high-level policy support and oversight to ensure alignment with EU and beneficiaries’ requirements.
