President Muhammadu Buhari said the conduct of the 2023 general election showed that a government can be elected peacefully and fairly.
Femi Adesina, the president’s spokeswoman, in a statement, said Buhari was speaking at the Commonwealth Leaders Summit in London on Friday.
Recall that Buhari is said to have previously left the country to attend the coronation of Charles III as King of Great Britain and Head of the Commonwealth.
President Buhari further emphasized the important role of Nigerian youth in elections as well as in supporting national development.
All Progressive Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu has been declared the winner of the March 1 presidential election by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) and is expected to be sworn in. office on May 29. However, Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi, standard holder of the Labor Party (LP) are opposing Tinubu’s victory in court.
Buhari expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the elections in Nigeria with high turnout and the generally peaceful atmosphere in which the elections were held.
“These elections saw a remarkable turnout of voters and proof that Nigeria’s democracy is maturing. Despite some pockets of violence, we have demonstrated that a government can be elected peacefully and fairly,” Buhari said.
“Lessons have been learnt and moving forward, we hope to perform even better. Based on this, I am delighted to note that we have taken another step towards deepening our democracy with peaceful, transparent and credible outcomes.
“Though we are aware that challenges still exist, we are committed to working towards greater participation of all Nigerians in the democratic process, including those in the diaspora.
“As I come before you today, I am also mindful that this would be my last official engagement with His Majesty The King and some of you as I leave office on 29 May 2023. I, therefore, feel both humble and grateful for this extraordinary and significantly important moment.
“Over the years, I have worked cordially with the leaders of the Commonwealth to achieve the values and principles of the Commonwealth which are shared by its members – the aspirations of the Commonwealth family which include positioning it to be a strong and respected voice in the world and improving the lives of all its citizens are being vigorously pursued.”
