BY EDMOND ODOK – President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday formally bade farewell to His Majesty, King Charles III, announcing that his current trip to the United Kingdom (UK) would be his last official engagement with the monarch as Nigeria’s President.
Addressing his colleagues at the Commonwealth Leaders Summit as part of key events leading to the coronation of the monarch as King of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Commonwealth, President Buhari said; “As I come before you today, I am also mindful that this would be my last official engagement with His Majesty The King and some of you as I leave office on 29 May 2023. I, therefore, feel both humble and grateful for this extraordinary and significantly important moment.”
“Over the years, I have worked cordially with the leaders of the Commonwealth to achieve the values and principles of the Commonwealth which are shared by its members – the aspirations of the Commonwealth family which include positioning it to be a strong and respected voice in the world and improving the lives of all its citizens are being vigorously pursued”.
The President, who appreciated other world leaders at the event with the theme: “The Commonwealth as a Body and the Role of the Youth”, expressed joy at shared aspirations and values within the period he related with them as the President of Nigeria in the last eight years.
Also speaking specifically on the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, President Buhari said the country has learned lots of lessons that would make subsequent polls even better, even as he expressed satisfaction with the exercise considering the huge voter turnout and the peaceful atmosphere under which the polls were conducted.
“These elections saw a remarkable turnout of voters and proof that Nigeria’s democracy is maturing. Despite some pockets of violence, we have demonstrated that a government can be elected peacefully and fairly.
“Lessons have been learnt and moving forward, we hope to perform even better. Based on this, I am delighted to note that we have taken another step toward deepening our democracy with peaceful, transparent, and credible outcomes. Though we are aware that challenges still exist, we are committed to working towards greater participation of all Nigerians in the democratic process, including those in the diaspora”, he said.
Commending the Commonwealth for sending a team to witness the conduct of the elections, President Buhari said the elections were generally free and fair, adding that the nation’s mood after the winners were announced indicates that democracy in Nigeria is maturing and can only get better.
While noting the key role played by Nigerian youths during the elections and also in supporting national development, the President said the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Bill signed into law by his Administration in 2018 accounted for the greater youth participation in the recently concluded general elections.
Furthermore, he used the occasion to announce that Nigeria will be playing host to the Commonwealth Youth and Students Summit for African Region in Abuja between May 9 and 11, 2023, with the theme, ‘Making Change Happen’.
