CITIZENS COMPASS– AHEAD of the 2023 general elections, the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress Asiwaju, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday, addressed Chatham House in London shedding more light on economy, foreign policy and many others.
Tinubu who has been addressing various strategic groups in Nigeria at town hall meetings, travelled to the United Kingdom weekend to share his campaign plans at Chatham House — a globally admired and respected platform for intellectual engagement on different issues of contemporary interest to people around the world.
Tinubu in his speech, emphasised Nigeria’s role in Africa as a big brother and a beacon of hope to the continent and the ECOWAS sub-region through now entrenched democratic ideals, having run an unbroken democracy for over two decades.
The APC Presidential candidate in his address vowed that as President, Nigeria will epitomise values of democracy during elections anywhere in Africa, by ensuring that democratic ideals are followed and all forms of electoral violence will be rejected, allowing only the will of the people to prevail.
“Every election, wherever it is held, is important to the people or entity directly concerned. It is also important to the global democracy community as well. Equally, there are also countries whose elections, on account of their weight and influence, carry wider implications way beyond their immediate geographical boundaries. Nigeria is one of such countries.
“I stand firmly against all forms of electoral violence and intimidation. Having spent most of my career in the political opposition, I have long fought against electoral malpractice and any attempts to extinguish the legitimate choice of voters. I will continue to do so.
“Also the Nigerian elections of 2023 are coming up at a time when the country’s immediate geographical neighbourhood of West and Central Africa is undergoing serious political turmoil that has manifested itself in the incursion of the military to power in a number of countries. In spite of the legitimate concerns being expressed by observers, Nigerians are resolutely committed to democracy, regardless of their political differences.
