President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday reaffirmed his commitment to upholding the core values and principles of democracy in Nigeria. The President, accordingly, promised the conduct of free and fair elections during the 2023 general elections.
President Buhari at a Virtual Summit for Democracy organised by President Joe Biden of the United States, assured that necessary mechanisms would be strengthened towards ensuring another peaceful transfer of power in Nigeria.
The President highlighted: “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 West Africa sub-region 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.”
The President decried that Nigeria has continued to face security challenges, which threatens democracy, and called on global partners to support the government’s efforts in tackling insurgency and terrorism.
The country, Buhari maintained, has had over two decades of uninterrupted democratic governance and has unequivocally remained committed to upholding the core values and principles of democracy.
According to the President: “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.”
President Buhari commended the American President, including the government and people of the United States for hosting the summit.
Noting that democracy has remained the most popular and universally recognized way of governance, the President was of the belief that it is the only system of governance that guarantees freedom of speech, rule of law, respect for human rights, and inclusiveness in governance.
Democracy, the President maintained, promotes social justice, economic and social development, and national and global peace.
“However, in spite of these laudable qualities, more is required from us as members of democratic societies, particularly in ensuring that democratic institutions and processes are strengthened, particularly during this period of a global pandemic which has threatened social cohesion in most democracies.
“We, therefore, must remain resolute and enhance cooperation, so that together, we build back better democratic institutions and sustainable democratic values,” Buhari said.
He acknowledged that the summit is taking place at a time when democratic institutions around the world are facing several challenges.
The President was hopeful that the event would help promote a positive agenda for democratic renewal by focusing on some of the major challenges faced by democracies in recent times.
He stated that through collective action, countries can safeguard democratic values and principles.
President Buhari lamented the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which, he said, made it impossible to convene a physical meeting, noting that it has taken a heavy toll on economies, health, and democratic processes around the world.
“Nevertheless, we have witnessed the resilience of democratic institutions in many countries that have held free, fair, and transparent democratic elections under very challenging conditions,” President Buhari emphasized.