In the run-up to next year’s federal elections, President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to Nigerians today that he would ensure free and fair elections in 2023.
Buhari claimed in his final Independence Day address as president that he had been a “victim of unjust election procedures” in the past and that as a result, he would leave a powerful electoral institution to ensure the emergence of a legitimate leader. He also advocated for more engagement of young people and women in the voting process.
He said, “Having witnessed at close quarters, the pains, anguish and disappointment of being a victim of an unfair electoral process, the pursuit of an electoral system and processes that guarantee the election of leaders by citizens remains the guiding light as I prepare to wind down our administration.
“It is for this reason that I have resolved to bequeath a sustainable democratic culture which will remain lasting. The signing of the Electoral Act 2021 as amended with landmark provisions, further assures us of a more transparent and inclusive electoral process.”
He promised that the success recorded in the Anambra, Ekiti and Osun state governorship elections will be scaled up come 2023.
“You would all agree that the recent elections in the past two years in some states notably Anambra, Ekiti and Osun and a few federal constituencies have shown a high degree of credibility, transparency and freedom of choice with the people’s votes counting. This I promise would be improved upon as we move towards the 2023 general elections,” he said.
