Posted by By IKE NNAMDI, The Sun Reporter Washington DC on
The United States government has suspended further election assistance to Nigeria in protest of the conduct of the last general elections.
The United States government has suspended further election assistance to Nigeria in protest of the conduct of the last general elections.
This is a fallout of the last congressional hearing on the elections, held in Washington DC.
The recommendations from House Foreign Affairs Sub-committee on Africa and Global Health advised the White House and the State Department to "withhold such assistance until the Nigerian government implements far-reaching democratic reforms and takes steps to strengthen democratic institutions."
Top US officials disclosed that the country's assistance to Nigeria before and during the last election totalled over $100 million.
"These are made up of cash, equipment, training and logistics," officials stated.
The US government had described the polls as deeply flawed, which prompted lawmakers to invite prominent Nigerian opposition to a hearing on Capitol Hill.
Those who testified include Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who called for outright cancellation of the poll and the formation of an interim administration.
However, U.S Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Jendayi Frazier, dismissed the call. She said while the administration was disappointed over the conduct of the polls, a cancellation would trigger political instability.
Prof. Soyinka berated Washington for supporting illegality and noted that President Umar Yar'Adua had accepted that the polls were flawed. He said if the elections were allowed to stand, it might set a precedence which would hurt the country's march towards democracy.
Soyinka said the world cannot reward someone who had admitted that the path through which he became president was flawed.
Other Nigerians invited to the hearing include vice presidential candidate of the Action Congress (AC), Senator Ben Obi; Chairman of the Transition Monitoring Group, Innocent Chukuma, the National Democratic Institute and the National Republican Institute.
The congressional hearing followed pressure by pro-democracy groups for the administration to push for a re-run of the election.