Nigeria Content Online

The United States ambassador to
Nigeria, Terence McCulley, has revealed that his country, through the
U.S Agency for International Development (USAID), and the British
government, through the DFID, has committed $35 million (N5.25 billion)
to help support credible national elections through the provision of
technical support to INEC.

Mr. McCulley, who spoke at a forum on
democracy and good governance jointly organised by the US embassy and
its UK counterpart in Abuja, yesterday said free, fair, and credible
elections are an important part of the process.

He urged Nigeria to take the necessary
steps towards achieving its potential by embracing democracy and
strengthening the institutions, practices, and values of democratic
governance.

He, however, acknowleged Nigeria as an
emergent force on the world stage, demonstrating its economic capacity
and engaging the world as a leader in ECOWAS and at the UN.

“Democratically governed nations
deliver safer, more just, more prosperous lives to their citizens,
which if strong, are more likely to secure, deter aggression, expand
markets, promote development, and combat terrorism and crime,” he said.

He said his country is not seeking for
a particular formula for a democratic construct, because “democracy is
as diverse as the global community.”

Mr. McCulley, who noted the challenges
faced in the botched National Assembly elections, said the underlying
challenge remains to conduct peaceful, free, fair, and transparent
elections.

The ambassador, who said the national
elections present a golden opprtunity for Nigeria to demostrate lasting
commitments to democratic values and institutions, warned the political
leadership and all those who aspire to lead, to refrain from engaging
in inflamatory, rhetoric, or supporting acts of intimidation.

“Violence has no place in a democratic
society,” he said, calling on all political parties to respect the
results of these elections.