Former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Robin Sanders, has described the emergence of Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, as democracy at work.

Dogara and Saraki

This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Dogara’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan in Abuja.

The statement said that Sanders made the remarks at a meeting with Dogara in Washington DC.

According to Sanders, “so long as the process was transparent and produces an outcome that is legal, I have no problem with that’’.

It could be recalled that the duo were elected into leadership positions of the National Assembly by their fellow lawmakers against the preferred candidates of their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The statement said that the ambassador further expressed satisfaction that democracy was taking its root in Nigeria.

She recalled that during her tenure, she facilitated training for some National Assembly workers in the United States, as well as helped to equip the National Assembly Budget Office and library.

Responding, the speaker said that Nigeria remained grateful to its friends, especially the United States, over the roles they played before, during and after the 2015 general elections.

Dogara called on the international community, including development partners, to contribute toward rebuilding, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the North-East region.

“The scale of devastation in the North-East region as a result of six years of insurgency can only be addressed through collaborative effort by the international community,’’ it said.

It added that the present government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, was committed to fighting corruption.

The statement, however regretted that some major international financial institutions were aiding and abetting corruption in Nigeria.

He said that pressure must be put on the institutions to stop receiving stolen money from Nigeria because it takes two to tango. (NAN)