Jonathan says May 29 handover date sacrosanct

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday reinstated his commit¬ment to a free, fair, and credible election in the coun¬try, noting that the May 29 handover date is sacrosanct.
He also noted that it was critical that all political par¬ties abide by the Abuja peace accord, which commits each to non-violence before, dur¬ing, and after the election.
May 29 is Nigeria’s de¬mocracy day, which also marks the handover of take off of a new government after an election.
In a statement issued after his meeting with United States secretary of state, John Kerry, in Lagos, Jonathan said the government would provide all resources that are required by the Inde-pendent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the election was con¬ducted smoothly. He also emphasised to the visiting US secretary of state that INEC is an independent body, which makes its own deci¬sions without any interfer¬ence from the government.
He noted that Nigeria is the largest trading partner of the United States in Africa, with more than $18 billion in bilateral trade, adding that the two countries and it’s people share a mutual admiration for each other and a deep commitment to freedom, democracy, and human rights.

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The president noted that cordial relationship was the reason the two countries are engaged in a struggle against a common enemy that pro¬motes terror, fear, division, and violates human rights, most especially of women and girls, with complete im¬punity.
According to him, wining the fight against Boko Haram in Nigeria and West Africa is absolutely essential to beat back the tide of religious extremism around the world.
He told Kerry that the security forces have been working tirelessly and cou¬rageously to achieve this goal.
“I reaffirmed for Secretary Kerry that Nigeria is strongly committed to building the multinational task force to fight Boko Haram in partner¬ship with Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commis¬sion. Indeed, I called publicly for such a regional approach at the African leaders sum¬mit in Paris in May 2014 and more recently in multilateral meetings.
“We are pleased that the international community is now strongly united be¬hind this initiative and agree that its success is critical. It is equally important that the multinational force receives the significant support that is required to address the threat through our global partners”, Jonathan said.
The president further noted that the United States more than any other country in the world, has the most experience fighting armed insurgencies, saying that having suffered the dev¬astating attacks of 9/11, its people also understand the insecurity and fear that is the reality for the vast majority of peaceful, tolerant Muslims and Christians in North East¬ern Nigeria.
Jonathan said he believed that enhancing and expand¬ing various channels of co¬operation between the two countries, in the context of growing international coor¬dination, are of the utmost importance, adding that he discussed a number of ideas with Kerry to move such cooperation forward.