US Assistant Secretary Linda Thomas-Greenfield who leads the Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs gave her views about the electoral process.
Speaking at the Channels Television on Tuesday, March 31, Thomas-Greenfield said that Nigeria’s electoral process is very complex, adding that they want to make sure they get it right.
She noted that “the process has improved over 2011 despite some of the logistical problems that people experienced”.
“The world is watching Nigeria, Africa’s largest democracy & one of the world’s largest democracies. We want to see Nigeria continue to take its place in the community of democracies. We’re hopeful that when the process ends, Nigerians will be proud of what they’ve accomplished,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
She also expressed concern about violent outbreaks that led to lots of deaths in 2011. She was “hopeful” the country would remain overall violence-free as results are revealed.
“We are hopeful that violence will not break out. Nigerians experienced that in 2011. No one should lose their lives wanting to express their will at the ballot box,” she said.
Moreover, Thomas-Greenfield said that she hopes “that the candidates’ messages to supporters will encourage them not to go into the streets”.
She also mentioned work of card readers in her interview. “Absolutely, the card reader was not perfect but could be perfected. Smart Card Reader provided a tremendous amount of confidence and transparency. Giving your large population, this is the way to go. I encourage continued use of card readers,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
“We have to continue to work with the INEC to ensure the problems they experience are looked at & corrected. I am really proud of Nigerians. My heart was so warm when I saw how people were waiting in line,” she concluded.
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