President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians and the international community of free and fair elections and peaceful transfer of power in 2023.

The president gave the assurance in his remark at a Virtual Summit for Democracy organised by President Joe Biden of the United States.

Buhari said necessary mechanisms would be strengthened to ensure that Nigeria witness another peaceful transfer of power.

“As we countdown to our next general elections in 2023, we remain committed to putting in place and strengthening all necessary mechanisms to ensure that Nigeria will not only record another peaceful transfer of power to an elected democratic government, but will also ensure that the elections are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.”

“Your Excellencies, Nigeria will continue to actively support the democratization processes in our region West Africa and the African continent at large. But regrettably, our democratic gains of the past decades are under threats of unconstitutional takeover of power.

“This unwholesome trend, sometimes in reaction to unilateral amendments of constitutions by some leaders, must not be tolerated by the international community. Nigeria fully supports the efforts by ECOWAS to address this growing challenge and appreciates the support of both the African Union and the United Nations,” he added.

The President, who said Nigeria had continued to face security challenges which posed a threat to democracy, called “on global partners to support our efforts in tackling insurgency and terrorism.”

“I am proud to state that Nigeria has had over two decades of uninterrupted democratic governance and has unequivocally remained committed to upholding the core values and principles of democracy.

“Since assuming office in 2015, we have been able to introduce mechanisms to ensure free, fair and credible elections. We have strengthened our key anti-corruption agencies in collaboration with international partners and have undertaken several anti-corruption measures and initiatives.”

In a statement issued Friday by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, Buhari thanked Biden, government and people of the United States for hosting the Summit.

He said the summit was taking place at a time when democratic institutions around the world were facing several challenges.

“This event will help promote a positive agenda for democratic renewal by focusing on some of the major challenges faced by democracies today. It is hoped that through our collective action, we can safeguard democratic values and principles,” he said.

The President said the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had made it impossible to convene the meeting face to face, had taken a heavy toll on economies, health and democratic processes around the world.