The Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has made a clarion call to African countries to work together to assist Zimbabwe conduct free, fair and credible elections for lasting peace and development. This, he said, would also ensure that the country did not slide back into the type of crisis that rocked the nation during its last election.
His comments were made when Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai visited him in the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he pledged that Nigeria would support the country and the South African Development Community for conduct of credible elections in that country.
"All African countries have a responsibility to ensure that Zimbabwe does not go back to the crisis of the past with the consequent loss of lives," said Jonathan.
He reasoned that the only way Africa could achieve stability in governance, as well as attract the needed direct foreign investment, lay in the conduct of transparent election that would stabilise socio-economic development and ensure that the will of the people reigned. He pointed out that the lessons of Kenya and Cote d'Ivoire should be employed in Zimbabwe to avert crisis.
Tsvangirai told State House Press Corps that he was in the country to brief Jonathan on how far SADC had gone to ensure peaceful elections next year and to solicit the support of Nigeria and the African Union (AU) to play active roles in the conduct of the elections.
Edited By Philip Onyia
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