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Credible elections key to peace, stability in West Africa – Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday urged West African leaders to ensure credible conduct of elections in their various countries.

The president, according to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, made the call in a goodwill message to the Government and people of Liberia on the occasion of the country’s 175th Independence Anniversary celebration.

He stressed that credible elections are the only way the sub-region can be insulated from the scourge of unconstitutional take overs that reared its head in three countries recently.

The president affirmed that democracy and good governance must take its roots in Africa to sustain peace, stability and development while leaders must redouble their efforts to guarantee the irreversibility of democracy.

Buhari said: “I would like to use the opportunity of this event to address an important issue affecting three countries in the ECOWAS region; Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

“All the three nations have National Elections in 2023. In Nigeria, we are working towards a free, fair, transparent, credible and acceptable outcome of elections and their results.

READ ALSO: Buhari reaffirms commitment to credible 2023 elections

“It is important and necessary for all our countries to key into these resolutions as they are indispensable to peace and stability in our countries and sub-region.

“The deepening of democracy and good governance are essential antidotes to check-mate unconstitutional change of governments as we sadly witnessed within the last three years in three countries within our sub-region.

“We must strengthen our efforts to guarantee the irreversibility of democracy in our sub-region and Africa.”

The Nigerian leader recalled Nigeria’s leading roles in the efforts that pulled the country back from its civil war in the 90s.

President Buhari said his presence at the celebrations underscored his strong belief in the strong bilateral ties between Nigeria and Liberia.

He added: “Nigeria’s contributions to the survival and safety of Liberia are well known.

“The dark period of your country’s civil war from 1989 to 1997, was a period that Nigeria invested hugely for peace in Liberia and indeed stability in the rest of the ECOWAS sub-region. May those dark days never re-surface in our countries and sub-region.”

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