The British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms. Gill Lever, has said the British Government has no preferred candidate in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

She also stated that the United Kingdom would not interfere in Nigeria’s electoral process, stressing that its interest lies in the conduct of free, peaceful, and credible elections.

Lever spoke in Ilorin during a courtesy visit to the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Mr. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, at the Government House.

The British envoy was in Kwara State on a three-day official visit.

She reiterated that the British Government would support peaceful, inclusive, and credible elections in Nigeria in 2027, adding that Downing Street has no preferred political party and would not interfere in Nigeria’s domestic political affairs.

“The British Government would support a free, peaceful, and credible election in Nigeria next year,” she said.

“Downing Street has no favourite political party and will not be seen interfering in local political matters.

“We all want to see elections that are peaceful, inclusive, and credible, with room for participation and respect for institutions.”

Lever added: “The British Government, as you’ll understand, Your Excellency, is entirely neutral. We do not favour one party or another, and we would never be in the business of telling Nigerian people how to vote.

“But peaceful and credible elections, of course, are not only a democratic objective. This is not only about Commonwealth values and the democratic values we have long shared; they are also an economic imperative,” she said.

Responding, Gov. AbdulRazaq said his administration had transformed the fortunes of Kwara State through significant progress across critical sectors of the economy.

“We have made significant progress in different sectors of the economy, from health and education to agriculture and road infrastructure. When we came in 2019, things simply were not working in the state,” he said.

“From backlogs of pensions and gratuities to the payment of half salaries and the blacklisting of Kwara by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the situation was dire,” he added, while countering what he described as narratives by opposition elements.

The governor said that when his administration assumed office, about 99 per cent of schools lacked Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, while many schools were unfenced and teachers were owed several months of salary arrears.

“Today, we are up to date with investment in basic education, including the payment of counterpart funds to UBEC.

“We have expanded access to education and healthcare, while also ensuring prompt payment of salaries and improved welfare for workers. We have cleared the backlog of salaries we inherited. In fact, we are planning to raise the minimum wage again this year to N100,000,” he said.

AbdulRazaq further stated that investments in the education and health sectors had yielded positive results through improved sectoral ratings and expanded access to services.

“We have expanded access to university education with the completion of two campuses of Kwara State University (KWASU) in Kwara North and Kwara South.

“By the time we leave office in 2027, Kwara will have five teaching hospitals to bridge the shortage of manpower in the health sector,” he said.

On agriculture, the governor said President Bola Tinubu’s administration was encouraging farming activities nationwide, adding that Kwara State had established a shea processing factory in Kaiama, which would become the second-largest in Nigeria when operational.

He also spoke extensively on security challenges, outlining efforts by the state government and other stakeholders to curb insecurity and make rural communities safer.

Lever’s delegation also visited the First Lady of Kwara State, Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, in her office in Ilorin.