President Muhammadu Buhari has said his Goverment remains “committed to putting in place” all all necessary mechanism that will ensure a free and fair election come 2023 and a peaceful transfer of power.
At a Virtual Summit for Democracy organised by President of the United States, Joe Biden, Buhari assured the International community that his administration is working to bring about peaceful transfer of power Nigeria.
Buhari said:“As we countdown to our next general elections in 2023, we remain committed to putting in place and strengthening all necessary mechanisms to ensure that Nigeria will not only record another peaceful transfer of power to an elected democratic government but will also ensure that the elections are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.
He added that,
“Nigeria will continue to actively support the democratization processes in our region West Africa and the African continent at large. But regrettably, our democratic gains of the past decades are under threats of unconstitutional takeover of power.
“This unwholesome trend, sometimes in reaction to unilateral amendments of constitutions by some leaders, must not be tolerated by the international community. Nigeria fully supports the efforts by ECOWAS to address this growing challenge and appreciates the support of both the African Union and the United Nations,’’ Buhari said.
The President said Nigeria continues to face security challenges that pose a threat to democracy, calling “on global partners to support our efforts in tackling insurgency and terrorism.’’
“I am proud to state that Nigeria has had over two decades of uninterrupted democratic governance and has unequivocally remained committed to upholding the core values and principles of democracy.
“Since assuming office in 2015, we have been able to introduce mechanisms to ensure free, fair and credible elections. We have strengthened our key anti-corruption agencies in collaboration with international partners and have undertaken several anti-corruption measures and initiatives,” he concluded.