Nigeria and the entire West African area will benefit from free and fair elections in the future, according to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Nigerian president, who will complete his second term in office next year, has reaffirmed his intention to hold smooth elections and said that his nation is dedicated to a stable West Africa.
According to a statement from presidential adviser Femi Adesina, he made this declaration on Monday during the ECOWAS parliament’s second ordinary session of 2022 in Abuja.
“We are convinced that the sustenance of democracy and the rule of law should remain the norm in this promising region,” he said.
“There will be multiple political activities in some ECOWAS member states, including Nigeria, where general elections are due to be held in February and March 2023. Let me seize this opportunity to reiterate my commitment to free, fair, and transparent elections and smooth transitions. This is one legacy that I want my administration to bequeath, not only to Nigeria but to the region as a whole.”
The major issues facing West Africa, according to Buhari, are threats to peace and security, political instability, the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine war.
‘‘It is on record that the region has not rested on its oars as we have always striven to evolve effective regional mechanisms to address these challenges.
‘‘For example, at the height of the pandemic, Heads of State of ECOWAS appointed me as the ECOWAS champion on COVID-19,” he said.
‘‘Working with three Ministerial Committees comprising Member States’ Ministers of Health, Finance, and Transportation, we developed an effective response by mitigating the effect of COVID-19 on our citizens. Our efforts yielded positive results as the ECOWAS region became one of the sub-regions least affected by the pandemic, in terms of mortality rate.”
General elections will be held in Nigeria on February 25, 2023 to elect the President and Vice President and members of the Senate and House of Representatives. Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is ineligible to run, being term-limited.
