By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The outgoing European Union (EU) Ambassador in Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Samuela Isopi on Tuesday paid a farewell visit to the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Ambassador Isopi who assumed duty as the Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in September 202, will complete her tour of duty in Nigeria on Friday.
Speaking at the occasion, she relished her time in Nigeria and her people and their determination to make democracy succeed in the country despite the challenges on the way just as she advocated a closer collaboration between Nigeria and European Union.
Said she: “After turning three years in Nigeria as Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), I will be leaving the country after the end of my tenure this Friday, and I couldn’t leave without paying a federal visit to Mr. Chairman, and without paying a favorable visit to the National Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) which is one, as you know, of European Union here in Nigeria, it has been a privilege and an honor to serve the Nigerian people over the past three years, and as I said, I couldn’t leave without visiting this building and this Commission.
“This has been very much part of not only my work here, but part of this partnership with the Nigerian people, and I would like to celebrate today.
“The reason why I made I said it’s a good reason, because I was actually attending an Handover meeting with my successor and with our (yarshi ) in Brussels, and I wanted to spend some time also with them, talking about the importance of the partnership that we have with the Nigerian people and the INEC on strengthening and deepening Nigerian democracy.
“And what I said in that meeting, and the message has passed on to my successor was that this has to remain. This needs to remain as one of our core tasks and core priority to support the aspiration of the Nigerian people for a deepened and stronger Nigerian democracy.
“As I was saying a few days ago in a public event, we are very proud and very pleased with the partnership that we have with INEC and with all the other stakeholders and partners that are involved in a joint effort that we are undertaking together under the EU-SDGM, the support to democratic governance in Nigeria.
“So I wanted really to bid Farewell to the Commission and Researchers to thank Mr. Chairman and the Commission for the very good partnership and collaboration. Very open, very frank.
“I think you can define a good partnership when you have disagreements and when you have different points of view, and you can talk to each other and work together and try to overcome I think this is the best example of partnership that we can have.
” It’s like in a family, right? You are very much connected, linked, even if you sometimes have not necessarily the same point of view.
“So once again, Mr. Chairman, we are very pleased, very happy of this partnership. I think we have gone a long way.
“We are very proud of being among the supporters of Nigerian democracy, as I have the opportunity to say, many, many occasions, supporting democracy in Africa and West Africa now is more important than ever, given the backsliding we have witnessed in many parts of this region, and Nigeria is the largest democracy of the continent, the largest democracy in West Africa, one of the largest democracies, I would say, in the world.
“And we know how important it is to continue to support Nigerians and Nigeria in its journey towards the strengthening of its democracy, and we believe, as we think, that we are product, result of that, that democracy remains the best way, if not the only one, to really respond to the aspirations of all democracies in the world, including our own face challenges.
“The journey is not necessarily always in one direction. We all face these challenges, and we have an interest in working together to see how we can strengthen democracy. Because strengthening democracy in Europe.
“Strengthening democracy in Nigeria means strengthening democracy worldwide. READ ALSO:
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“And we know how important the example that Nigeria can give to other countries is, as I said, I think we have gone a long way.
“Maybe not everything is perfect, alinas, where many things are not perfect, and I remain convinced that the trajectory is the right one, and I think we have been working together to try to see how to continue to improve election administration in Nigeria. I’m very proud of the kind of model we have established here”.
