Nigeria: U.S. Says Nigeria's Elections Were Its Best Since 1999

United States Department of State (Washington, DC)

28 April 2011

Nigeria: U.S. Says Nigeria's Elections Were Its Best Since 1999

Stephen Kaufman

Washington — As Nigeria concludes its series of elections, a senior Obama administration official says the voting in legislative, presidential and local government contests was the country's most successful since it returned to multiparty democracy in 1999.

"This reverses a downward democratic trajectory and provides the country a solid foundation for strengthening its electoral procedures and democratic institutions in the years to come," Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson told reporters April 28.

Carson acknowledged that there had been some problems, including allegations of fraud and ballot box snatching, but said he did not believe that "any of the irregularities or technical imperfections undermines the overall outcome of this election and that the elections do reflect the will of a majority of the Nigerian people."