Buhari restates commitment to fair, peaceful elections

He gave the reassurance when he granted audience to one of the aspirants to the Kano Central Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Basheer Lado, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Briefing State House correspondents after his meeting with the President, Lado said Buhari expressed his commitment to ensuring that candidates with integrity emerge at the approaching elections.

“After my briefing, Mr. President reiterated his commitment to credible and peaceful elections. He also expressed his desire to ensure candidates with integrity emerge at the polls across Nigeria,” Lado said.

The senatorial aspirants added: “As you are aware, Kano State is the largest producer of votes in Nigeria. It is the decider of who becomes the next president in the presidential election.

“Just like my Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has done in the past, I respectfully informed and reassured Mr. President that the APC is still the party to beat in Kano, despite the recent defections.”

President Buhari yesterday departed Abuja for the capital of Equatorial Guinea, Malabo, where he will take part in the African Union (AU) Extra-ordinary Session of Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

A statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the summit would focus on security.

The First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, the President of African First Ladies Peace Mission, is accompanying her husband to the meeting.

The statement said: “The three-day summit, which will hold from May 26 to 28, will also focus on humanitarian challenges in Africa, with related issues on migration, refugees, returnees and Internally Displaced Persons.

“At the summit, the African leaders will look at terrorism and unconstitutional change of government, with attendant spiralling effects on human rights and economies.

“President Buhari will join other heads of state and government to deliberate on humanitarian challenges, hopes and challenges in Africa, and participate in the adoption of Assembly Declaration on Humanitarian Summit and Pledging Conference.

“On security and governance, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union will take a united position on terrorism and unconstitutional change of government, and reach agreements on new approaches to stem the tide.”

Buhari will equally hold sideline meetings with some leaders during the summit in Malabo.

The President is also accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Defence, Maj-Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd); Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management & Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq; National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd); Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar; and Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa.