President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday asserted that those who usually engage in ‘vote rigging’ in the country are no longer having a field day.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned the President said this at the State House, Abuja, while playing host to West African Elders Forum Pre-Election Mediation Mission, led by former president of Sierra Leone, Dr Ernest Bai Koroma.
The president , has, once again, promised to ensure that the 2023 general election is ‘free, fair and credible’ while manipulations in any form would according to him be disallowed.
‘Thank you for accepting to do this service for our sub-region’ the President was quoted to have told the members of the West African Elders Forum Pre-Election Mediation Mission .
The off-season elections that were held in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States had according to him shown that the Federal Government would allow people to choose the leaders they want.
‘That right is guaranteed’ the president’s spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina quoted him to have submitted.
‘We are settling down, and making progress. People should vote whoever they want, in whatever party. We shall not allow anyone to use money and thugs to intimidate the people. Nigerians know better now, they are wiser, and know that it is better to dialogue than to carry weapons. Elections are even more difficult to rig now’ he added.
Former President Koroma said they had met with stakeholders across the parties, civil society, and Independent National Electoral Commission, among others, ‘and we commend you for making it clear both locally and internationally that the elections would be free and fair’.
He commended President Buhari for not listening to voices that might have tried to convince him to seek a third term in office contrary to what had been stated in the constitution of the country, noting that ‘other countries look up to Nigeria for direction’.
‘When we had issues in Sierra Leone and Liberia, it was Nigeria that came in to stabilize the system’ he said.
The former number one citizen of Sierra Leone urged President Buhari to look into other areas of concern as raised by the stakeholders, including security, and other issues that may cast doubts in respect of the clarity and credibility of the elections.
Members of the delegation led by Koroma include Fatoumata Tambajang, former Vice President of The Gambia, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, former Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, and Ann Iyonu, Executive Director of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Team@orientactualmags.com
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