AHEAD of the 2023 general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari has urged candidates to respect the choice of voters and accept results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Buhari said this in a statement posted on his Twitter handle on Thursday, February 23.
“Any aggrieved candidate should resort to the established judicial processes, and we must have the confidence to trust our legal systems,” he noted.
Buhari further charged Nigerians to avoid violence and maintain peace regardless of the outcome of the elections.
“Let me remind all Nigerians, not for the first time, that, this is the only country we have, and we must do everything to keep it safe, united and peaceful. There should be no riots or acts of violence after the announcement of the election results.
“All grievances, personal or institutional, should be channelled to the relevant Courts.”
The President reiterated his administration’s commitment to free and credible elections.
“We will continue to act with neutrality and allow the rule of law to take precedence over political expediency.
“We have demonstrated that with the off-cycle elections in Edo, Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States. We allowed Nigerians to decide who should govern them. We are committed to this legacy in this administration,” he said.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.