By: Clement Idoko-Abuja
Despite criticism that has continued to trail the conduct of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Federal Government has insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari is committed and keeping faith in bequeathing a democratic society to Nigeria by significantly improving the electoral processes.
Minister of State for Education, Rt. Honourable Nanah Opiah said this at an event marking the 2023 Commonwealth Day on Monday in Abuja.
Since the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections on 25th February 2023 and the subsequent declaration of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the President-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), there has been a flurry of criticism against the electoral umpire over the alleged flawed process.
Some Nigerians including members of major opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party, have called for the resignation of the Chairman of INEC, for allegedly refusing to ensure real-time transmission of the Presidential election results as provided in the Electoral Act and superintending over the flawed process.
In the same vein, some foreign and local observers have also in their preliminary reports, said the February 25th polls fell short of the global standards and expectations of Nigerians.
But Nanah Opiah in his keynote address said Nigerians should be proud of President Buhari who he noted has demonstrated so much commitment and kept faith with bequeathing a democratic society to Nigeria.
He said: “The most abiding rubric of this celebration is that the Commonwealth remains the largest gathering of Nations and their Colonial Masters that has evolved into a partnership where all members – from the colonial masters themselves to the most advanced members and the least developing ones work together to ensure development within each member country.
“The continued togetherness of Commonwealth Member Nations and the yearly commemoration of a Commonwealth Day, including other activities jointly undertaken by this group of Nations, demonstrate that the Commonwealth Charter remains invaluable in uniting member towards a common value and aspirations.
“The Commonwealth remains consistent in the pursuit of sustaining friendship ensuring peace, freedom, perseverance, strength as well as unity in diversity not only for its 2.5billion people but for the rest of the world.
“This year’s commemoration is significant because it marks a decade of signing the Commonwealth Charter on 11th March 2013 by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“The Charter expresses the commitment of member states to the development of free and democratic societies and the promotion of peace and prosperity to improve the lives of all the people of the Commonwealth.
“For us in Nigeria, we should be proud of the significance of this decade of the charter coinciding with the last days of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“A President who has demonstrated so much commitment and kept faith with bequeathing a democratic society to Nigeria by significantly improving the electoral processes,” he said.
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