President Muhammadu Buhari says only a good governance system will help entrench democracy in Nigeria.
He has therefore pledged to ensure fair, credible and transparent elections as the country elects its leaders next year.
The President made the pledge in his nationwide broadcast to mark the 2022 Independence Day as the country clocked 62 years of self-rule.
He said: “Fellow Nigerian, no matter what gains we make, without a good governance system anchored on electing credible leaders on the basis of free, fair, credible and transparent elections, our efforts will not be enough.
“It is for this reason that I have resolved to bequeath a sustainable democratic culture which will remain lasting. The signing of the Electoral Act 2021 with landmark provisions further assures us of a more transparent and inclusive electoral process.
“You will all agree that the recent elections in the past two years in some States, notably Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun have shown a high degree of credibility, transparency and freedom of choice with the peoples’ votes actually counting. This I promise will be improved upon as we move towards the 2023 general elections. ”
Ahead of next year’s polls, the President implored all candidates to eschew violence and maintain issue-based campaigns as they canvass for votes.
“As we begin the transition process to another democratically elected government, I want to implore all candidates to conduct issue-based campaigns devoid of hate speeches as well as other divisive tendencies,” he added.
The Nigerian leader advocated for more female and youth participation in the elections, as he advised the youth to avoid being used to propagate violence, which usually mar elections.