Elections: “We Never Take Side, We Do Take Side With Peace”, Says US Envoy

Struart W. Symington, the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, has said
his country has no political leaning, but would support and work
for the prevalence of peace before, during and after the
elections.

Symington stated this on Saturday when he visited Governor Aminu
Bello Masari at his residence in Katsina.

He said: “We never have a candidate in the elections. Our
candidate is always the place and the process of their own
elections. We never take side. But, we do take side with
peace.”

He expressed the hope that as the people looks forward to
participate in next week’s elections, “every single one would
recognise that security is fundamental, not just to freedom, but
also to posterity.

“Security is not the job of the security forces alone. But,
everyone in the state regardless of our party and who the candidate
is, stopping things from happening is all that matters and the
fundamental challenges of the citizenry.”

He called on everyone to work together to ensure that peace
reigned in the state before, during and after the elections.

“Elections come and go. Our nations remain and regardless of
what happens in any elections, we will be committed to works
ongoing in areas like health, security and economic opportunities,”
he concluded.

Masari, in response, assured all political parties of a level
playing ground ahead of Saturday’s governorship and state Assembly
elections.

Masari, who noted that even the opposition parties were provided
facilities to address their supporters as offered to the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the recently
concluded election, said his party, the All Progressives Congress
(APC) ran a hitch-free campaigns in the 34 local government areas
to achieve its objectives.

According to him, during the exercise, there was no violence
recorded and no offensive instruments were carried during the
entire tour of the campaigns.

“The state did not witness any violence after the February 23
Presidential and National Assembly elections,” he said, adding that
after the 2015 general elections, the Emir of Katsina promised and
guaranteed the security of both indigenes and others.