PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari says Nigerians must ensure that the 2023 transition of power is peaceful in honour of Moshood Kasimawo Abiola, the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election.
Buhari said this in his Democracy Day commemoration speech.
The president, calling on all Nigerians to work together to ensure a smooth transition when his tenure elapses next year, expressed satisfaction on the peaceful conduct of presidential primaries across all the political parties, adding that the momentum must be sustained in the general elections in 2023.
He asked candidates in the election to be fair and ensure dignity in their dealings with opponents.
“In honour and memory of one of our national heroes for democracy, Chief M.K.O Abiola, GCFR, we must all work together to ensure this transition is done in a peaceful manner
- “As we move into the general election campaign season, we must sustain this mature attitude to campaigning and, ultimately, voting. We must never see it as a do-or-die affair. We must all remember that democracy is about the will of the majority. There must be winners and losers,” he said.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.