Canada to assist Nigeria on 2015 elections

The Canadian Government said it will partner with Nigeria to ensure credible elections in 2015.

The President, Parliamentary Centre, Canada, Mr. Jean-Paul Ruszkowski, told journalists in Abuja that the partnership was arrived at after a roundtable with leaders of major political parties on Monday.

Ruszkowski said the aim of the meeting with leaders of major political parties was to work out modalities on how to set up a Parliamentary Centre that would enhance the country’s electoral process.

“ The purpose of the visit is to learn about how Nigeria is progressing in its democratic practice; how the federal system works and through that process explore, with the help of the party leaders, to understand what the priorities, what will bring all parties together to conduct a project that will be of use to Nigeria.

“Be it in the field of budgetary oversight, in the field public accounts, security, natural resources and whatever sector is identified by the parliamentarians as high priority is welcome.

“We have been to several countries and over the years, we are in the position to help.

“We are just starting and the whole idea is to build confidence between the citizens, and governments and political parties; so when the elections come there will be no doubt about how representative the election will be,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Ruszkowski as saying to journalists on Tuesday.

He said the Parliamentary Centre worked with legislatures of 31 African countries to “help them better serve their people.”

Also speaking, the Presidential Adviser, Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Ndi Obi, said several meetings with legislative leaders, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Canadian Parliamentary Centre would be held to map out strategies on improving the country’s electoral process.

“He (Ruszkowski) will be meeting with the Senate President, the Speaker and some leaders of the National Assembly; we had met with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“To round off the visit, he will be meeting with Prof. Attahiru Jega all on how to further improve the electoral process of our country.

“We have had a robust discussion with our leaders here on how to build formidable internal democracy in our parties and how the parties can work hand-in-gloves with their legislatures in the National Assembly to make democracy more at home with us.

“I will add that our aim is to have the Canadian Parliamentary Centre be established here in Nigeria and because they have been functional in 31 African countries and in Nigeria, it is not there yet.

“So, we intend that this visit is the beginning of how that centre can be established here in due course,” he said.