President Muhammadu Buhari during his final official engagement with King Charles III at the Commonwealth Leaders Summit, expressed gratitude to fellow world leaders and shared his satisfaction with the conduct of Nigeria’s 2023 general elections.
The theme of the event was “The Commonwealth as a body and the role of the Youth.”
Buhari highlighted the progress of Nigeria’s democracy, citing the high voter turnout and generally peaceful atmosphere of the recent elections.
Speaking at the event he 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.”
He acknowledged that challenges remain but expressed commitment to increasing participation in the democratic process, including engaging Nigerians in the diaspora.
The President also thanked the Commonwealth for sending a team to observe the elections, noting that they were largely free and fair.
According to the President, “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 towards 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.”
Buhari emphasized the important role Nigerian youths played in the elections and national development, attributing increased youth participation to the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ bill signed into law in 2018.
Lastly, Buhari announced that Nigeria will host the Commonwealth Youth and Students Summit for the African Region in Abuja from May 9-11, with the theme “Making Change Happen.”
