U.S. Government is Not Backing Any Nigerian Presidential Candidate – Ambassador John Bray

The United States Consul-General in Nigeria, Ambassador John Bray, said on Thursday that the U.S. Government was not supporting any presidential candidate in the February 16, 2019 presidential election in Nigeria.

Bray, who stated the U.S. Government’s position when he led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on the Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, at the Government House in Yenagoa, insisted that US was only interested in free, fair and credible elections in the country. He stressed the commitment of the United States to a violence-free electoral process.

The diplomat noted that his delegation was on a tour of the southern states in the country to interface with civil society organisiations, traditional rulers and other political stakeholders on the need for peaceful conduct before, during and after the elections.

Bray said, “The US does not have a candidate in this election. We are looking for a free, fair, credible and peaceful process, a process that allows the choice of the Nigerian citizens to come through.

“So, we are going to spend some time with the governor and chat about different things we might be able to do to better the situation and anything we can do to help before leaving here for Port Harcourt tomorrow.”

In his remarks, Governor Dickson commended the efforts of the international community to peaceful, free, fair and credible elections in the country.

He restated his call on the political class to respect the will of the people and make efforts that would renew their confidence in the unity and peaceful co-existence of the different ethnic nationalities.

Describing Nigeria as a critical member of the international community, Dickson cautioned politicians to be wary of utterances and conducts that could throw the country into avoidable crisis which could truncate the nation’s democracy.

The governor commended the US and other members of the international community for living up to expectations by taking proactive measures to forestall breakdown of law and order as well as strengthening the electoral process in Nigeria.

He said, “We want to thank the US Mission in Nigeria for your services, contributions and for the building of peace as well as promotion of our nation’s democracy. We also want to thank you for always thinking of us and caring about what is going on here in the Niger Delta.”