{"id":215,"date":"2024-06-07T15:00:24","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T15:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/?p=215"},"modified":"2024-06-07T15:00:24","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T15:00:24","slug":"european-union-pledges-commitment-to-democratic-governance-in-nigeria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/2024\/06\/07\/european-union-pledges-commitment-to-democratic-governance-in-nigeria\/","title":{"rendered":"European Union pledges Commitment to\u00a0 Democratic Governance in Nigeria"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li dir=\"auto\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">By George Mgbeleke<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">In it&#8217;s renewed efforts to\u00a0 support\u00a0 Nigeria&#8217;s democratic journey, the European Union (EU) has reasserted its unwavering dedication at a Steering Committee meeting in Abuja.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The discussions primarily centered around the challenges faced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2023 general elections and outlined strategies to address them effectively.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Samuela Isopi, emphasized the need for concerted efforts to bolster democratic governance in Nigeria.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Isopi acknowledged the difficulties encountered by INEC and stressed the importance of rectifying electoral irregularities to ensure fair and transparent elections in the future.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">She highlighted the EU&#8217;s readiness to engage with stakeholders and collaborate on initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria&#8217;s democratic institutions.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Isopi&#8217;s remarks underscored the EU&#8217;s commitment to supporting democracy both domestically and internationally.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0She emphasized the significance of investing in Nigeria, the largest democracy in Africa, as a testament to the vitality of democratic principles in the West African region.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Isopi&#8217;s statements echoed the EU&#8217;s broader mission to promote democracy worldwide and collaborate with partners to uphold democratic values.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Earlier, Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu,\u00a0 expressed concerns about the surge in legal challenges surrounding political party primaries.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">He noted that a substantial number of cases were filed against the conduct of primaries, diverting valuable time and resources from INEC.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Yakubu called for greater engagement with political parties to improve internal democracy and streamline the candidate nomination process.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The Programme Steering Committee, co-chaired by the EU Ambassador and the Chairman of INEC, plays a pivotal role in providing policy support and oversight for EU-supported initiatives in Nigeria.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Comprising representatives from the EU Delegation to Nigeria and EU-SDGN II beneficiaries, the committee ensures alignment with EU standards and addresses the evolving needs of Nigeria&#8217;s democratic landscape.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The meeting concluded with a firm commitment from all stakeholders to collaborate closely in addressing electoral challenges and promoting democratic governance in Nigeria.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0By fostering dialogue and cooperation, the EU and its partners aim to contribute significantly to Nigeria&#8217;s democratic progress and stability.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By George Mgbeleke In it&#8217;s renewed efforts to\u00a0 support\u00a0 Nigeria&#8217;s democratic journey, the European Union (EU) has reasserted its unwavering dedication at a Steering Committee meeting in Abuja. The discussions primarily centered around the challenges faced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2023 general elections and outlined strategies to address them effectively. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":135,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[136,135,77,137],"class_list":["post-215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-conduct","tag-democracy","tag-election","tag-european-union"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":217,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215\/revisions\/217"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}