2023 polls: Your votes will count, Buhari reassures Nigerians

The president gave the assurance on Saturday in his administration’s last New Year message released by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu in Abuja.

Buhari thanked the almighty God who saw Nigerians through the year 2022 and had given them the opportunity to see another New Year, describing it as an opportunity to reflect on the past year, reposition, and move forward in the new year.

According to him, “all these electoral and democratic principles are working in concert because of the transcendent beliefs, beyond partisan politics of you the great citizen of Nigeria.

“In addition is my personal commitment and executive promise to see to the letter that the 2023 elections, being diligently conducted by INEC, will be free and fair.

The collective electoral will and votes of Nigerians will be fulfilled, even in the twilight moments of my watch,” he said.

President Buhari who lauded his administration’s landmark Amended Electoral Act said it would 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,” Buhari added.

The president urged Nigerians to also resist every attempt to be used by politicians to create unrest in any form to disrupt the elections.

“We, as a government will ensure such activities are met with the full force of the law,” he further assured.

According to him, reflecting on the Year 2022 allows his government to examine its legacies of successes and challenges, as well as celebrate its wins and review its obstacles.

”Governance is a continuum, which still places a transitional responsibility on the administration to provide for the incoming government a non-partisan and objective roadmap for 2023,” he added.