President Muhammadu Buhari has promised Nigerians and the international community that free and fair general elections will be held in 2023, and also ensured a peaceful transfer of power. This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina who said President Buhari made this known at a Virtual Summit for Democracy organized by the United States of America.
President 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.
“Your Excellencies, 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 threat of the 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 the growing challenge and appreciates the support of both the African Union and the United Nations.”
President Buhari also encouraged global partners to assist Nigeria in tackling security challenges such as insurgency and terrorism.
He also said, “This event will help promote a positive agenda for democratic renewal by focusing on some of the major challenges faced by democracies today. It is hoped that through our collective action, we can safeguard democratic values and principles.”
