Following recent remarks by the US Secretary of
State, John Kerry and the European Union on the
postponement of the general elections, the
Federal Government through the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs today Feb. 11th, warned all
foreign missions in the country to stop
interfering in its internal affairs, particularly its
electoral process.
At a meeting with over a hundred heads of
missions in Abuja, the Minister of foreign affairs,
Amb. Aminu Wali, said information reaching the
Federal government indicates that some foreign
missions want to interfere in the electoral
process and that the federal government will not
tolerate such actions. He said interference in
Nigeria's internal affairs by foreign envoys is
unacceptable...
"No country, I repeat no country, no matter
how well intentioned can love Nigeria more
than Nigerians themselves.
Excellencies let
me seize this opportunity to express the
strong displeasure of the Federal
government on conducts of some heads of
mission who have continued to behave in
an imperial manner and in clear breech of
the channel of diplomatic communication.
A situation where a head of mission takes
on the role of a government seeking to
impose the views and perspectives of its
government and make unguided utterances
on matters that are strictly within the
domestic jurisdiction of the host country is
unacceptable. Let me be clear, the Federal
government would no longer tolerate the
excesses of such heads of mission.
They
are hereby advised to operate within the
norms and etiquette of diplomatic
intercourse” the Minister said.
While reacting to the postponement in a
statement released on Sunday February 8th, US
Secretary of State, John Kerry said “political
interference with the Independent National
Electoral Commission” is unacceptable, calling on
the government to “not use security concerns as
a pretext for impeding the democratic process”.
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