• Charges NBA to ensure success of general elections
• NBA apologises to Nigerians for neglecting role
• Polls must hold as scheduled, Afenifere insists
• Warns against use of court to abort exercise
• EU deploys 100 observers to monitor elections
• Shari’ah Council fears staggered polls may instigate violence
• Utomi: INEC must pass confidence test, tackle under-age voting, vote buying

As Nigerians countdown to the presidential polls, which will hold in the next 25 days, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and Chair of the UN Sustainable Group, Ms Amina J. Mohammed, has warned that Nigeria cannot afford to fail with the 2023 general elections.

She also urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to ensure success of the polls.

Mohammed stated this, yesterday, in her keynote address delivered at the State of the Nation Dialogue on Security, Economy and Administration of Justice, organised by NBA in Abuja, urging the association to come up with how to effectively manage conflicts that may arise from the conduct of the elections.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General said: “As Africa’s leading economy, with the biggest ports and security anchor for our neighbouring countries, Nigeria cannot simply afford to fail. UN will support any process that will lead to credible, all-inclusive, free and fair general elections. UN is committed to accompanying Nigeria on this journey.
And NBA has a huge role to play to advance the country’s aspiration towards 2023 general elections.”

She said the UN has observed fake news, religious and ethnic hate speeches trailing the ongoing campaigns.

Speaking to the audience via a live broadcast, Mohammed applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for achieving great strides in increasing the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.