Nigerian politicians that believe their help in the forthcoming general elections would come from Europe and America got a rude shock on Monday when the Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs declared emphatically that US will not back any candidate or party in the election.

Ms. Molly Phee ,the US official disclosed the United States of America’s position when she visited the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in Abuja.

Her words: “I do want to make it clear that the US do not back any candidate or party. We back the process. We back democracy”.

She said she was confident that Nigeria will have a successful election stressing that every citizen, every Stakeholder and every party involved in the election have a responsibility before, during and after the election to be peaceful.

Responding, INEC Chairman, Prof Yakubu said the Commission is only interested in the process stressing that the choice of who wins in the election belongs to Nigerians.

He promised that the Commission would conduct a free, fair, credible, Inclusive and verifiable elections.

Prof. Yakubu who went memory lane on the Commission’s timetable said 12 out of the 14 activities mapped out for the election have been completed.

According to him, the remaining two activities would occur on February 25 ,2023 for the presidential and National Assembly election and on 11th March this year for the governorship and house of Assembly election.

The INEC Chairman in the last few weeks been meeting with critical institutions on how to ensure a crisis free logistics during the election.

The Commission got assurances that finance would not be a challenge during the election when the visited the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The Group Chief Executive Officer,of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited ( NNPCL)Mr.Mele Kyari also promised that petroleum products would be available for logistics during the election.