Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The United States (US) has said that it is actively involved with political happenings in Nigeria, particularly regarding the just concluded 2019 general elections.
United States Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, in a teleconference press briefing with journalists across Africa, recalled the efforts of the United States Embassy in Abuja under the leadership of Ambassador Stuart Symington and his team to ensure a peaceful election process countrywide.
Nagy said that in the pre-election, election and post-election periods, the US mission is providing phenomenal guidance to Washington on how the United States Government should respond to election-related matters.
“You probably remember I was there previous to the election, meeting with a whole number of people and the electoral commissioner,” said Nagy.
“So, just rest assured that the United States of America Embassy and the Consulate in Lagos, are very, very actively involved and are doing just an absolutely superb job with the entire team there to monitor the events, to report only events and to provide guides on how Washington should react to whatever the events there are, with statements, with telephone calls.
“As you know, our Secretary did make a telephone call,” Nagy said.
Prior to the Presidential and National Assembly election, United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo was reported to have placed a call across to the 0residential candidate of the Peoples Democratic (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to encourage a free, fair and credible election in the country.
Nagy added that, like other African countries such as South Africa and Angola, the United States is very much involved with happenings in country.