Buhari to Nigerians: Don’t be used to disrupt 2023 polls

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to resist every attempt to be used by politicians to disrupt the 2023 general election, saying his administration will ensure such activities are met with the full force of the law.

Buhari, who admonished Nigerians to participate in the next year’s polls, stressed that his government will ensure free and fair elections across the country in 2023.

The President said this via his 2023 New Year message, a copy of which was made available to The Star on Saturday.

He stated: “In year 2023, Nigerians go to the polls to exercise our right to vote and elect a new administration, it is an important year for our country to ensure that we have another smooth transition of government, to whoever the people have decided upon. This administration’s landmark Amended Electoral Act will ensure that we have free and fair elections across the Nation.

“We as Nigerians must also take responsibility to ensure we participate in ensuring that the 2023 elections are free and fair by not engaging in anti-state activities and other nefarious acts that may affect the run of the polls.

“We must also resist every attempt to be used by politicians to create unrest in any form to disrupt the elections. We, as government will ensure such activities are met with the full force of the law.

“As our security agencies continue to make the country proud, we must continue to assist our patriotic forces by providing much-needed community intelligence. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that Nigeria remains safe and peaceful for us all.

“Therefore, we have a duty and obligation to support our troops and intelligence agencies by being alert and reporting anything suspicious,” Buhari said.

President Buhari stated that the fight against insurgency in the North-East has continually recorded a very clear victory in the past year, noting that the Federal Government and the Borno State Government have started making moves to return Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their homes earlier taken by the insurgents.

He disclosed that over 82,000 insurgents with their families surrendered to the military, adding that many surrendered insurgents were currently being processed by the rehabilitation (Operation Safe Corridor) program.

Buhari said the fight against banditry, kidnapping, and other crimes in the North-West and other regions has been gaining momentum and showing very clear results, “one of which is the resumption of Train Service along the Kaduna to Abuja corridor.”

The President assured Nigerians that 2023 would be “a time when we would work to solidify on delivering key strategic priorities under our ‘SEA’ – (Security, Economy and Anti-Corruption) Agenda.”

He listed some of the priority areas his administration would focus on in 2023 to include security, economy, and anti-corruption.

“As we welcome the New Year, let us look with hope to 2023, a year to move forward as a nation towards unity, progress, and prosperity. I offer my own personal felicitations, mindful of the various opinions and interpretations of our executive legacies.

“I welcome and accept both the accolades and criticisms in equal measure secure in the conviction that I did my best to serve our dear country Nigeria and I pray that the next President will also pick up the baton and continue the race to make Nigeria one of the leading countries of the world by the end of this century,” President Buhari added.

The Star