President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians and the international community that any threats from any section or individual in the country ahead of the general elections do not represent the position of the Federal Government.
He gave the assurance on Thursday in a special pre-election nationwide broadcast.
He stressed that the safety and security of all foreigners and international election observers in the country is assured before, during and after the general elections slated to commence on Saturday.
He also assured Nigerians that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federation Government would ensure that the coming elections were conducted in a secure environment, adding that the elections would be free, fair and credible.
The president advised youths to stay away from violence and to avoid being used to foment trouble by desperate politicians.
He urged Nigerians to come out en masse on election days to exercise their franchise, saying it was their constitutional obligations.
He highlighted the achievements of his administration in the areas of rail, road construction, electricity and the economy.
He stressed that the Federal Government was committed to improving the critical sectors of the nation’s economy and was already creating more jobs to absorb the unemployed in the country.
According to him, under the APC-led administration, inflation in the country has reduced and recession is now behind us as a nation,saying that the economy was now on a steady growth.
“Now that the recession is behind us, we will redouble our efforts by creating more jobs, the recovery from recession is complete and we have succeeded in making fundamental changes ,”he said.
Buhari, then, advised Nigerians to vote wisely on Saturday, saying that they should think of what the opposition could do differently before voting.
He stressed that the choice before Nigerians ahead of the election, was between going backwards or keeping the momentum.
He said that the APC-led government is committed to ensuring an improved living condition for all Nigerians, saying:” we are clearly the preferred choice”.
He appealed to youths to avoid being used for violence and destruction, as they go out to vote in the general elections this weekend.
Buhari told Nigerians that the Federal government is committed to ensuring a free and fair election, in line with the peace accord he signed with other candidates on Wednesday.
In his words “I want to make a special appeal to our youth: Do not allow yourselves to be used to cause violence and destruction. The people who want to incite you are those preparing the ground for discrediting the elections. Having lost the argument, they fear losing the elections.
“As Government has a critical role in maintaining the democratic traditions, so do citizens. I therefore urge you all, as good Nigerians, to take a personal interest in promoting and maintaining peace in your respective neighborhoods during the elections. This is certainly not a time to allow personal, religious, sectional or party interests to drive us to desperation.
Listing some of the achievements of the current administration, Buhari noted that “The damage that insecurity and corruption have done, over time, to our collective livelihood is incalculable. However, it is pleasing to note that our frontal attack on these twin evils is gaining momentum and bringing about visible progress. The recovery of the economy from recession is complete and Nigeria is back on the path of steady growth.
“The economic recovery that we promised is well underway, as demonstrated by the recently released statistics. In 2018, the economy grew by 1.93%, with the Fourth Quarter growth being 2.38%, up from 1.81% in the Third Quarter.
On Agriculture and job creation, Buhari said that there has been a high supply of quality agricultural produce, in his administration.
“I am pleased to note that in major departmental stores and local markets, there has been a surge in the supply of high quality Nigerian agricultural produce. Behind each of these products, are thousands of industrious Nigerians working in factories and farms across the nation. Our interventions have led to improved wealth and job creation for these Nigerians, particularly in our rural communities.
Buhari urged Nigerians to be wise, and consider the promises made by other candidates, if they are what is already going on in his administration
“In making your choice this time, please ask yourself whether, and in what ways, others will do anything different to address the issues of Agriculture, Infrastructure, Security, Good Governance and Fighting Corruption. If they are only hoping to do what we are already doing successfully, we are clearly your preferred choice. Think carefully and choose wisely. This time, it is a choice about consolidating on growth for Jobs and Prosperity.”
NAN/The Nation
