THE British High Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening Nigeria’s democracy.
The British High Commissioner, Richard Montgomery, stated this on Thursday, October 16, after engaging with key stakeholders during a two-day visit to Awka, Anambra State, ahead of the state’s governorship election scheduled for 8 November 2025.
According to a statement mailed to The ICIR by the commission, Montgomery said, “The UK supports Nigeria in conducting democratic contests in accordance with Nigerian law and the constitution.”
He emphasised that the United Kingdom would not endorse any candidate or political party but remained focused on supporting the electoral process.
He explained that he met with the Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, other governorship candidates, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner, the State Commissioner of Police, and civil society representatives to discuss the technical and logistical arrangements for the upcoming poll.
“Our focus is solely on the electoral process itself – that it should be transparent, peaceful, inclusive and enjoy the confidence of the Anambra people. We do not endorse any particular candidate or political party,” the statement quoted him to have said.
The statement noted that discussions focused on technical and logistical preparations for managing 5,720 polling units across the state, the security situation in its 21 local government areas, factors that could influence voter turnout, and plans for monitoring the electoral process and polling day activities.
He encouraged all eligible voters to exercise their democratic rights and to engage peacefully in the election.
Reinforcing that violence has no place in the democratic process and that peaceful conduct benefits all stakeholders, Montgomery said that the United Kingdom remained committed to its partnership with Nigeria in supporting good governance, democratic institutions, and peaceful electoral processes across all levels of government.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.