An electoral officer hands a ballot paper to a voter at a polling station in the village of Tumfafi, near Kano, in northern Nigeria Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. Nigerians are going to the polls for a presidential election Saturday, one week after a surprise delay for Africa's largest democracy. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
The United States says it will support Nigeria to ensure free and fair elections in 2023.
Jeanne Clark, spokesperson of the US Mission in Nigeria, said this on Wednesday at an event organised by Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Kano.
While noting that the work on ensuring free and fair elections is part of the US government’s year of action plan, she added that the US is taking action in five key areas — supporting free and independent media; fighting corruption; bolstering democratic reforms; advancing technology for democracy, and political process.
“Let’s be clear. Getting things done in a democracy is not always easy. Democracy is messy. Democracy is hard. Democracy requires compromise and that means that no one is ever going to get 100 percent of what they want,” she said.
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“Now, that doesn’t mean we compromise on every core value — things like protecting the equal human rights of every individual — but it does mean that we have to engage with people we disagree with.”
She commended the media for its efforts, especially in ensuring professionalism.
“We have long appreciated high-quality Nigerian journalism, which can be found in every corner of Nigeria,” she added.
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In his address, Mustapha Isah, NGE president, said free media is essential for the growth and development of any democracy.
On his part, Muhammad Garba, Kano commissioner for information, who represented Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano, urged journalists to always uphold the ethics of the profession while carrying out their duties.
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