By Ebi Kesiena
Election Observer team from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has expressed worries over the lingering fuel shortage and the cash crunch occasioned by the naira swap, and how these may affect the elections.
Former Sierra Leonean President, Ernest Bai Koroma, who leads the 250-man delegation, raised the concerns when the Observer team visited the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, in Abuja, recently.
At the meeting Koroma admonished the Nigerian government to address these issues before the polls.
“So far, we have had some concerns that have been raised that bother on the availability of fuel as its limitation will affect the movement of everybody including the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Another concern is that of the scarcity of cash limited liquidity in the system. This has been a concern that has been raised by our observers and also, the political parties that we have met”, he said.
Koroma equally spoke on security issues as they affect specific locations and regions, noting that although there are isolated incidents of violence, the government should take steps to address them ahead of the polls.
While commending Nigeria for its ceaseless efforts and sacrifices in strengthening democracy in the sub-region, he stressed that the world attaches so much importance to the success of the Nigerian elections.
