UK envoy: Outcome of Nigeria’s 2023 elections important for Africa’s democracy

Catriona Liang, British high commissioner to Nigeria, says the conduct and outcome of the 2023 general election is important to the democracies in Africa.

Nigeria’s general election will be held on February 18, 2023, across all the states and the 774 LGAs in the country. The winners of the election will be inaugurated on May 29 of the same year.

Speaking at The Convergence 3.0, an event held by Yiaga, a civil society group, to empower and prepare young candidates ahead of elections in Nigeria, Liang said the world is watching Nigeria as it gets ready for the 2023 elections.

She commended the country’s effort in ensuring the practise of democracy, though she described the state of Nigeria’s democracy as “backsliding” and “stuck in a murky road”. 

“For Nigeria, Africa and the world, the outcome and the conduct of the 2023 elections is important,” she said.

“You all know in your region where actually democracy is backsliding, this includes West Africa basically. But then many states around Africa where presidents tried to hang on to power for third term.

“One really positive thing about Nigeria is the state of its democracy since 1999, though it’s been a little bit of a murky road, you are stuck with it.

“One of your previous presidents tried to go for a third term; there is no third term, one of your presidents is going to step down, so there will be a change in the next election.

“The world would be looking at this election; will it be relatively secure, will it be conducted relatively well, and will the outcome be the one the people of the country believe in?”

The high commissioner apologised to Nigerians on the recent ban placed on its travellers going to the United Kingdom from Nigeria, adding that the decision was imperative owing to the growing  transmission of Omicron in Nigeria.

“I want to say sorry if any of you had your travel plans to the UK disrupted, but unfortunately, this is due to the transmission of the COVID-19 variant that is going on rapidly in Nigeria,” she said.

“We all just have to recognise and come into terms with this thing so that we can live with it.”