Nigerians will vote in peaceful atmosphere — Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigerians will vote in a peaceful atmosphere conducive for free and fair elections come February 25 and March 11, 2023.

Buhari gave this assurance on Thursday when he received the Secretary-General, World Customs Organisation, Dr Kunio Mikuriya, at the State House, Abuja.

According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Mikuriya is in Nigeria for a Global Conference on Fragile Borders themed ‘Enabling Customs in Fragile and and Conflict Affected Situations.’

The statement is titled ‘How fragile borders fuel terrorism, economic sabotage, and illicit flow of arms, by President Buhari.’

“I have made it a cardinal commitment to ensure each Nigerian is able to exercise their franchise by participating in a free and fair election… it is our objective to ensure this takes place in a peaceful and conducive atmosphere.

Buhari also lamented that the porous borders of many African states and the attendant proliferation of illicit arms were fueling economic sabotage and prolonging the fight against terrorism.

He argued that Nigeria and her neighbours must place a higher premium on the effective policing of borders, as the fragile nature of entry points into various countries enhances terrorism.

“In fact, it is quite frankly the singular most concerning sub-issue in our national security agenda. The fragility of our borders has been a major Achilles heel in our fight against terrorism, economic sabotage and illicit flow of small and light weapons,” Buhari remarked.

Therefore, the President lauded the timeliness of the Global Conference on Fragile Borders, expressing his delight that the WCO dedicated an entire conference to the subject and theme.

This move, he said, recognises not only the importance of border security but dedicates working sessions and brainstorming opportunities around it.

This is “of critical importance for us as a country as we go to the polls, but equally important to most countries on the continent, and dare I say the world,” said Buhari.

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