U.S Congress Holds Debate On Nigeria’s 2019 Elections

The 2019 general elections holding in February would be the subject of discussion at the United States House of Representatives on Thursday December 13, 2018.

This is coming two days after presidential aspirants in the election, including President Muhammadu Buhari, signed a peace accord to guarantee peaceful conduct of the elections.

The candidate of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was however absent at the signing ceremony that held at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja.

A notice on the hearing sent out by the U.S House subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations listed the subject of discussion as “Nigeria at a Crossroads: The Upcoming Elections”.

The subcommittee named Honourable Tibor P. Nagy Jr., the Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State, and Mr. Ramsey Day, the Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development, as “witnesses” at the hearing.

The hearing has been slated to hold by 2 p.m. tomorrow at the U.S House.

The hearing is coming at a critical time that the main opposition PDP had expressed fears that the 2019 elections may not be free and fair, especially as President Buhari had declined assent to the Electoral Amendment Act 2018 for the third time last week Friday.

The President cited the need for credible elections as reason for his refusal to assent the Electoral Amendment Act 2018.

The Bill seeks to make the use of card reader mandatory as the only means of voter accreditation at the poll.