•HRES 147 IH 
Whereas President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, Gen-
eral Muhammadu Buhari, and other Presidential can-
didates pledged to reverse this trend by signing the 
‘‘Abuja Accord’’ on January 14, 2015, in which they 
committed themselves and their campaigns to refraining 
from public statements that incite violence, to running 
issue-based campaigns that do not seek to divide citizens 
along religious or ethnic lines, and to supporting the im-
partial conduct of the electoral commission and the secu-
rity services; 
Whereas Secretary of State John Kerry visited Nigeria on 
January 25, 2015, to emphasize the importance of ensur-
ing the upcoming elections are peaceful, nonviolent, and 
credible; 
Whereas Nigeria was scheduled to hold national elections in 
February 2015, but the elections were postponed by 6 
weeks to protect polling stations; 
Whereas tensions in the country remain high, and either elec-
toral fraud or violence could undermine the credibility of 
the upcoming election; 
Whereas the people of Nigeria deserve a fair, competently ex-
ecuted, and secure electoral process, as well as an out-
come that can be accepted peacefully by all citizens; and 
Whereas it is in the best interest of the United States to 
maintain close ties with Nigeria: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns Boko Haram for its violent at-
tacks, particularly the indiscriminate targeting of ci-
vilians, especially women and girls, and the use of 
children as fighters and suicide bombers; 
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•HRES 147 IH 
(2) stands with— 
(A) the people of Nigeria in their right to 
live free from fear or intimidation by state or 
nonstate actors, regardless of their ethnic, reli-
gious, or regional affiliation; 
(B) the people of Cameroon, Chad, and 
Niger who are increasingly at risk of becoming 
victims of Boko Haram’s violence; and 
(C) the international community in its ef-
forts to defeat Boko Haram; 
(3) supports the Abuja Accord, and calls on 
candidates, party officials, and adherents of all polit-
ical movements to comply with the code of conduct 
spelled out therein, by refraining from any rhetoric 
or action that seeks to demonize or delegitimize op-
ponents, sow division among Nigerians, or otherwise 
inflame tensions; 
(4) condemns any and all abuses of civilians by 
security forces of the Government of Nigeria; 
(5) urges the Government of Nigeria to— 
(A) conduct timely, credible, transparent, 
and peaceful elections; 
(B) refrain from using security services for 
political purposes in connection with the elec-
tions; 
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•HRES 147 IH 
(C) prioritize the safety and security of Ni-
gerians vulnerable to Boko Haram attacks; 
(D) implement a comprehensive, civilian 
security focused response to defeat Boko 
Haram that addresses political and economic 
grievances of citizens in the north; 
(E) improve the capacity and conduct of 
Nigeria’s security forces, including respect for 
human rights, and take steps to hold account-
able through a transparent process those mem-
bers of the security forces responsible for 
abuses; 
(F) recognize that security forces are in-
tended to protect the safety and security of all 
citizens equally; and 
(G) cooperate with regional and inter-
national partners to defeat Boko Haram; 
(6) urges all Nigerians to engage in the elec-
toral process, to insist on full enfranchisement, and 
to reject inflammatory or divisive rhetoric or actions; 
and 
(7) reaffirms that the people of the United 
States will continue to stand with the people of Ni-
geria in support of peace and democracy. 
Æ 
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