The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, has urged Nigerians to turn out in large numbers to exercise their franchise during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
In a statement issued on Friday night in New York, Ban welcomed the progress made by the Independent National Electoral Commission in the preparations for the elections.
It said Ban welcomed the joint statement signed under the auspices of the National Peace Committee by President Goodluck Jonathan and General Muhammadu Buhari in which they renewed their pledge for peaceful free, fair and credible elections.
He called on the candidates and their supporters to resolve disputes that may arise from the electoral process through peaceful means.
“The success of the polls is the responsibility of all Nigerian actors: the electoral authorities, security agencies, political parties, candidates, religious leaders, civil society and voters,” he said.
The secretary-general hoped that the elections would be transparent, inclusive and peaceful.
He said: “The relevant national authorities must be accountable to the Nigerian people to ensure that this is the case.
“The international community has high expectations that Nigeria will provide leadership in setting a high standard for this election.”
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