FG Donates Vehicles, Motorcycles For Presidential Poll In Republic Of Benin

The Federal Government has donated 15 Hilux operational vehicles and 100 motorcycles to the Independent National Electoral Commission of Benin Republic as its commitment towards encouraging a credible election in the forthcoming presidential election scheduled to hold on March 6, 2016.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bulus Lolo, who presented the items in Cotonou, emphatically said that free, fair and credible election in Benin was of interest to Nigeria as it to the nation adding that credible election is the sine qua non to good governance, above all, enables citizens to be active team players in the governance of their country.

According to a report from the electoral commission in Benin, 36 candidates have been cleared to contest the election.

Lolo while presenting the items called upon all the political parties and stakeholders to conduct the election with utmost maturity rather than the spirit to win at all cost which end up causing chaos and anarchy in the society even after the elections, using Nigeria as a case study where an opposition party worked assiduously hard and eventually won the election against the incumbent President.

“Nigeria and Benin are neighbours; what happens in Benin is of immediate impact and interest to Nigeria and what happens in Nigeria has impact and is of interest to Benin. Besides, we are one and the same people separated by colonial rule and because of this separation with a borderline we tend to think that we are different people. Therefore, our being here today to support the electoral process in Benin is a clear demonstration of our solidarity, brotherhood and friendship, You are witnesses to the landmark change that took place in Nigeria in 2015 following the election of President Muhammadu Buhari in a peaceful, transparent and legitimate election without rancour.

“That election in Nigeria was a landmark because for the first time, a ruling party that had been in office for 16 years was voted out of office. Through the free will of the Nigerian people, the election ushered in an opposition party for the first time in the history of Nigeria. INEC was courageous enough to declare the winner after the event that took place in Nigeria.

“Today, the support we are rendering to Benin is to enable the Commission Electorale Nationale Autonome (CENA) stand firm and ensure that the votes of the people count,” he said.

He said that the support being given to Benin was a clear demonstration of Nigeria’s conviction that democracy must take very deep roots in our systems and in African countries”, Lolo said.

In response, the President of CENA, Tiando Emmanuel, specifically eulogized the leadership of President Mohammadu Buhari ever since he assumed office saying that he has substantially shown that he believes in democracy. Commenting on the donations, Emmanuel commended Nigeria’s great and cordial relationship with Benin over the years, saying that the kind gesture would certainly assist the electoral body to deliver in its mandate.

“The quality of relationship between Nigeria is demonstrated by the frequent meetings that exist between the two countries. During the last meeting with INEC, I told the INEC chairman that Nigeria is the senior brother of Benin and the senior brother cannot abandon the junior brother. This gesture will allow CENA to reach the farthest parts of Benin during the election and will reinforce our democracy in Benin and democratic values in Africa,” Emmanuel said.

Equally, Nigeria’s ambassador to Benin, Dr Lawrence Obisakin and his counterpart to Nigeria, Mr Oyedekpo Laleye, re-echoed on the need for the two countries to continue with mutual cooperation.