Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president, says the 2023 general election is “one of the proudest achievements” of his administration.
The president, in his Sallah message to the Muslim faithful, signed by Garba Shehu, his spokesperson on Thursday, said he created “a level playing field for all contestants regardless of party affiliations”.
Buhari said the outcome of the elections was “transparent” and that members of his political party — the All Progressives Congress (APC) — were “routed and unseated.”
“President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the peaceful outcome of the 2023 general elections “will go down on record as one of the proudest achievements of my administration in addition to our neutrality in the conduct of the elections,” the statement reads.
“In his goodwill message to Muslims on the occasion of the Eid-el-fitr celebration to mark the end of the 30-day Ramadan fasting season, President Buhari explained that “the outcome of the elections were in line with my pledge to leave a legacy of free and fair elections”.
“I’m proud that I have created a level playing field for all contestants regardless of party affiliation in order to produce a fair outcome for all.
“Free and fair elections are the only principles that give credibility to our democracy, because the subversion of the will of the people undermines democracy itself.”
The president said “free and fair elections are the only principles that give credibility to our democracy because the subversion of the will of the people undermines democracy itself”.
“At no point did I interfere with the process in order to give unfair advantage to anyone,” he added.
The presidential and national assembly elections took place on February 25 while the governorship and state assembly polls were held on March 18.
Bola Tinubu, candidate of the APC, was declared winner of the presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Opposition political parties, Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have contested the result at the election petition tribunal.