The Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, Samuela Isopi, has said it is up to Nigeria to decide what to do with the report of the European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria on the 2023 general election.
She said this when she briefed newsmen on the award of postgraduate scholarships to 135 Nigerians on Monday, according to The Eagle.
At the briefing in Abuja, Isopi said the reaction of the Presidency castigating the report would not affect the EU’s relations with Nigeria in anyway, adding that the EU and Nigeria have very strong relations.
She stated that there were engagements between EU institutions, EU leaders and the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while also recalling a telephone call after his inauguration with the President of the European Union Council.
Isopi added that the EU would continue to collaborate and cooperate with Nigeria in so many areas, even as she said that both the EU and Nigeria will strengthen new areas.
She recalled that since 1999, the EU has been deploying election observer missions to Nigeria on the invitation of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Isopi said, “It is the responsibility of host country, it is the responsibility of the partner country, it is the responsibility the electoral management body to decide if they want to make use or not of that report.
“Our experience with Nigeria so far has been positive and I mean and I can say that the report of the international observation missions, including the European Union, has helped a lot and has helped guide the action and the reform processes and I have no doubt that this will be the case also this time.”