It is time again for Nigerians to go to the poll to elect the next set of leaders. The National Election which will take place in the first quarter of 2023 can be considered as especially significant in Nigeria’s quest for democratic consolidation.
The 2023 elections will be taking place on the back of almost 25years of unbroken civilian rule. That’s a record. It is a record for the country which is once entrenching and celebrating. Every election, wherever it’s held,it’s important to the people or entity directly concerned.
It is also important to the Global democracy community as well. Equally,there are also countries whose elections on the account await an influence carry wider implications beyond their immediate Geographical boundaries.Nigeria is one of such countries.
One area where the government of All Progressives Congress (APC) distinguished itself is electoral management today’s elections are more credible ever since the return of Democracy in 1999.
Recent statutory engagements and enactment allowing the use of Technology for the accreditation of Voters and transmission of results will deliver the fairess and fairest election in our nation’s history. This is particularly important because the next government of Nigeria will have some tough choices to make and will not be able to do so with questionable electoral mandate.
Ballot security and election violence are areas where their is cause for concern. There is an emerging trend of attacks against the personnel and infrastructure of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) in part of the country. At the same time political conversations on social media have become more lazed with violence rhetorics, retaliation against those perceived as supporting partitions. I stand firmly against all forms of electoral violence and intimidation.
Having spent most of my career in political opposition,I have long fought against electoral malpractice. Any attempt to extinguish the legitimacy of choice of voters,I will continue to do so. I promise.
I hereby,urge all my fellow contestants in this election to do the same. Let the sovereign will of the people decide the path of our Nation and let this election be determined by voters making their choice freely rather than domineering intimidation . Indeed,there is more than a personal interest in Nigeria. Politics generally and upcoming elections in particular for several reasons.
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Firstly,as Africa most populous country and the continent largest economy,it is generally acknowledged that fortunes of African continent and indeed the black race is tied directly to the earth of Nigeria.Also,the Nigeria elections of 2023 are coming up at a time when the countries immediate Geographical neighborhood of West Africa and Central Africa is undergoing serious political turmoil that has manifested itself in the incursion of the Military into power in a number of countries.In spite of legitimate concern being experienced by
observers, Nigerians are resolutely committed to democracy regardless of their political differences.
At the best of times and with reference to it’s foreign policy orientation since independence in 1960 and since the end of the civil war in 1970, Nigeria has always drafted it’s domestic National Security and Economic development and policies with some strategic foreign policy. There is a close connection between Domestic development and National Security. On one hand,to prosper too in peace and stability, Nigeria needs to uphold it’s National Security,Unity, Territorial Integrity, Sovereign Independence and Safety as well-being of its people.
On the other hand,to secure itself, Nigeria not only require to build and enhance the capacity of a self it’s Arm Forces but also the welfare and wellbeing of its citizens. Though,a commitment to the development of human security,the country has attended through government and other succeses of government interface National Security and Economic development as two sides of the same coin focusing equally on full sufficiency and sustainable development.
Nigeria shares direct land borders with four African Countries with whose people Nigeria also share historical and cultural affinities. This, effectively means that the relationship between Nigeria and it’s immediate neighbors is such that is more than just a geographical expression. To be fully secured at home, Nigeria has always believed it must be a brother’s keeper,it was out of this understanding that African Premier Regional Economic Community,the ECOWAS was established in 1975.
Uniquely, ECOWAS has embedded in it’s Mandate,the promotion of Regional Economic integration as good in it’s own right and in addition understood sub-regional peace and security.
I am convinced as I am sure of most of us are that the principle that enabled successive Nigerian government to interface development and security and established and organic link between the National Security and Economic Development with regional peace and prosperity is impeccable and remains relevant. It is an approach which I commit myself to upholding and advancing,I promise.
The challenges which has manifested themselves with the regard to our national and regional development and security trajectories are very well known to all us here. Radical Extremist Terrorism, Banditry, Kidnappings, Human Trafficking, Trafficking in Weapons, Trafficking in drugs, Climate Change, Resource Driving Conflicts etc
Most and mostly manifesting initially in a national problem. These challenges involved overtime into trans-border and multinational challenges. As a people,we are counting the As a people, we are still counting the costs of the challenges which different armed and criminal groups are posing to national and regional development. We know that thousands of lives have been lost and continue to be wasted. We know that various infrastructure assets built at a huge cost have been destroyed in deliberate out of reckless vandalism. We’ve seen the thousands of people who have been internally displaced at home or forced into refugee camps abroad. With farming activities distrupted, we’ve seen shortages of food items and food price inflation that have undermining human security. I can go on and on in enumerating the cost that I’ve been inflicted on the mass of people by the crisis of insecurity.
To respond meaningfully to the discontent and to redress the many indications arising from them,we must begin by reminding ourselves of the old diphthong ‘foreign policy but a continuation of domestic policy’.
We must recalibrate domestic policy in order to revamp the foundation on which our need to pursue human security rests, this will mean too pursuit with renewed vigo of promoting employment creating and poverty eradication policies as outlined in my ‘Renewed Hope ’23’ that’s the action plan for a better Nigeria as adopted by my political party.
The present administration has invested heavily in Agriculture by providing loans and expanding the countries total areas of cultivated lands.We will build on it but our focus will be on using technology and expertise to accelerate growth and development by providing the critical infrastructure neccesary to achieve the commodity transformation in the Agricultural value chain Roads,Rails,Access to Ports,the Storage and Infrastructure are what will require to radically transform agricultural sector and increasing value to the nation provided the areas of our focus so that the food potential of our Agro-economy can be achieved and we can real the benefits in Jobs, improved economy opportunities and increased prosperity.
Fitting the perennial holes of energy supply is another priority,there is no version of the world where Nigeria’s ambition itself can be achieved without solving the problems to provide energy to homes and businesses across the country.It is time to recognize that the centralized approach to energy policy infrastructure is not an optimal arrangement and it is unlikely to improve by mere tinkering around the sides. The Federal Government as regulator, an operator and the price fixer is a broken mother. We assure to fix it and we are determined to do so,I promise you.
We’ve privatized the power distribution in Nigeria and generation to a certain degree, what we need to do going forward is to improve enabling environment and further reform the legal regulatory frame work to attract more private investments in the sector as we have experienced in the Telecom Industry.
My believe that the private sector is the engine of economic progress is evident and documented. However, fundamental floors will be basic design of our national economy in peril the private sector from playing the role it ought to and adding the values it capable of doing. In this instance,the government must act as a catalyst. We shall do some all front,we will address the conflict between monetary and physical policies. Budgeting will be based on all the projected spending level needed to push the real annual growth trade above 7%.
We will reduce unemployment rate so that we can double the economy in Ten years. At another level,we must learn to make policy work for our better our domestic, social, economic and political priorities. To do so, our foreign policy apparatus will need to be renewed to take full advantage of Global Initiatives and processes that work for us and tallied with our domestic priorities.
In this instance,I applaud the outcome of the COP27 that recently ended in Egypt. In acknowledging the legitimate claim of the Global South on Climate Action. In accepting adaptation and energy transition principles including the treatment of gas as transition fuel,we will work more on this. We will work to accelerate investment in Gas production and we are committed to enhancing domestic and Global energies security.
Furthermore, beyond what we do Nationally,we must also become much bolder as Africans in our efforts at Regional and Continental Information and Security. In this regard, we are fully committed to the Africans Union’s Agenda 2063 for continental transformation.
Amidst the changes taking place and the global order,the primary duty of leadership in Nigeria and I dare say all Africans is how within a vision of National Development and Security that’s Human Centered not Foreign Policy that’s crafted to fit the priority of rebirth and accelerated progress.
This is the task to which my colleague and I have committed ourselves as path of a broader Project of leveraging our National Assets and Natural Endowment to nurture and to project a Renewed Nigeria that will be Responsible, Responsive and Respected driver of Prosperity and Harmony in Africa and around the world.
I am confident that Nigeria people will go to the Polls in a few short months and give me their Mandate. I’m ready to lead and govern the country. I will return here to interact with you when the elections are over. I will come not with a long list of priorities for the future but with a plan for the collaboration in the best interest of the country I love and dedicate myself to for a lifetime. I hope you will receive me then as a gracious as you have today.
Nigeria,is part of Global Community ready to accelerate it’s Growth and committed to democracy freedom around the World. We will stick to it. Democracy is not easy to manage, promote. We’ve seen challenges around and across the world but we are up to the task.
Thank you.