President Muhammadu Buhari reiterated his satisfaction with the conduct of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria before some Commonwealth leaders.

He based his happiness on the turnout of voters and the generally peaceful atmosphere under which it took place.

Addressing colleagues at the Commonwealth Leaders Summit on Friday in London, the Nigerian president said the country learnt lessons which would make subsequent polls even better.

His media adviser Femi Adesina released a statement detailing Mr Buhari’s submissions at the London summit.

Many world leaders are currently in the United Kingdom to witness the coronation of His Majesty, King Charles III as King of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Commonwealth.

“These elections saw a remarkable turnout of voters and proof that Nigeria’s democracy is maturing,” Mr Buhari said.

“Despite some pockets of violence, we have demonstrated that a government can be elected peacefully and fairly.”

He said further, “Lessons have been learnt and moving forward, we hope to perform even better.

“Based on this, I am delighted to note that we have taken another step towards deepening our democracy with peaceful, transparent and credible outcomes.

“Though we are aware that challenges still exist, we are committed to working towards a greater participation of all Nigerians in the democratic process, including those in the diaspora.”

The Nigerian leader noted that the Commonwealth sent a team to witness the conduct of the elections, adding that the elections were generally free and fair.

According to him, the mood of the nation after the announcement of the winners so far shows that democracy in Nigeria is maturing and can only get better.

Mr Buhari highlighted the key role Nigerian youths played during the elections as well as in support of national development.

He attributed a great part of the youth participation in the general elections to the assent of ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Bill signed into law by his administration in 2018.

He announced that Nigeria would also host the Commonwealth Youth and Students Summit for African Region, with the theme, ‘Making Change Happen’, in Abuja from May 9-11, this year.

The Nigerian leader used the opportunity to bid farewell to his colleagues, expressing joy at shared aspirations and values within the period.

(NAN)