The United States of America has stated that it would remain a neutral observer in the forthcoming 2019 Presidential elections, says it is not endorsing any Presidential candidate.
IgbereTvNews gathered that Russell Brooks, the public affairs officer at the US Consulate General Lagos, said this via a live chat on Facebook.
When asked if the US would be supporting any presidential candidate ahead of the 2019 election, Brooks said the US would continue to remain neutral.
He said the only thing the US would be supporting is a credible and fair process.
“We are not favouring or supporting any candidate. It is up to the Nigerian people to decide. Our candidate is the process. The process should be free and fair, it should be a non-violent process. I am not talking of any plus or minus of any candidate, we are not favouring any candidate. We are not trying to influence the success of any candidate. That is not our role,” Brooks said.
He said the US would support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the media and Civil Society Organisations especially in the area of capacity building.
Brooks said: “We are helping Nigeria to make that progress through our support to INEC, to civil society here in Nigeria; through our assistance to the press and enabling them to also play a positive role in the coverage of the elections.”
Recall that former president Goodluck Jonathan had accused ex-United States president Barack Obama of interfering in the 2015 election.
Jonathan made the fresh accusation in his new book My Transition Hours which was launched on Tuesday, November 20.
In excerpts of the book, Jonathan claimed Obama sent his secretary of state John Kerry, who made a video broadcast to Nigerians in ways designed to influence the outcome of the election against him.
