Commonwealth calls for free, transparent elections

CO M M O N W E A L T H Enterprise and Investment Council ( CWEIC) has called on government to ensure free and transparent general elections in 2023 to sustain and strengthen democratic governance in the country.

Deputy Chairman of CWEIC, Lord Hugo Swire, made this call, recently, in a chat with journalists in

Lagos, where he described Nigeria as one of the great nations in the Commonwealth.

He said: “I’m aware you’ve got elections, and I would urge people to take part in those elections. Democracy is only sustainable if people participate, particularly, young people. And I think we really do need to encourage people to vote in these elections, and that the elections should be free and transparent.”

Lord Swire, who is a member of the British Privy Council, was in Nigeria to raise awareness and mobilise delegates for the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit 2022 ( CTIS), which is scheduled to hold between December 5 and December 6, 2022, at Mansion House in London, United Kingdom, in partnership with the City of London. He said: “There will also be the 2022 Commonwealth High Commissioners’ Banquet, a Black Tie/ National Dress event at London’s iconic Guildhall. We will also have our Global Advisory Council meeting, which is exclusive for our members, called Strategic Partners. There will also be the Commonwealth Legal Network ( CLN) Networking Reception, held in partnership with one of our Strategic Partners, Irving Mitchell.