Ben Llewellyn-Jones, British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, has urged Nigerians, especially politicians, to respect electoral process.

In an interview on Saturday in Lagos, he urged politicians to resolve their grievances peacefully and avoid heating the polity and inciting violence.

“My advice to politicians in the upcoming elections is that they should respect the process as the new technology is there to ensure that people can vote, and that must be respected.

“If the politicians have a problem or dispute, then the use of legal or peaceful processes should be carried out, and if their supporters are angry, ensure peaceful protests and avoid any form of violence,” he said.

The envoy also cautioned them against vote buying, noting that the British government will place a visa ban on politicians threatening democratic processes.

“It is imperative of politicians and people to do the right things as the UK government is committed to issuing visa restrictions where it is aware of attempts to subvert the democratic process,” he said.

Mr Llewellyn-Jones noted that since 2019, the UK government had spent over £10 million working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others.

He urged the public to cooperate and work with the INEC, noting that the commission can deal with its challenges.

“We have been working very closely with INEC, and we have spent over £10 million since 2019, not just on them as that money went into capacity building for Nigerian government institutions, civil societies, and observers who have been working closely with INEC.

“We are impressed with steps that have been taken as we know there is still a lot to do, especially in terms of logistic challenges, but INEC is very experienced, and they will overcome the challenges.

“We encourage Nigerians to work and cooperate with INEC as there will always be challenges, but Nigerians should remain supportive,” he said.

The UK envoy noted that there should be inclusiveness of people across the board in elections and encouraged People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs), youths, and women to contest various positions in future elections.

“We are strong supporters of the ‘Not-Too-Young-To-Run’ Movement, as we supported the act and encouraged more people to come forward to participate in the elections because we want to see more inclusiveness across the board,” he said.

Mr Llewellyn-Jones expressed confidence that the forthcoming elections would be peaceful and fair.

He revealed that the UK government does not have preferred candidates, noting that its concern was for the public to determine their preferred leaders.

“I have been watching elections in Nigeria since 2014, and every election since 1999 has been an improvement as there have been changes, improvements, development, assurance, and more confidence from the voters.

“The UK government is not bothered about who wins the elections, but our focus is on the process and to ensure Nigerians choose their leaders,” he said.

(NAN)