President Muhammadu Buhari bid farewell to His Majesty, King Charles III, stating that his current trip to the UK would be his last official engagement with the monarch. The President made this known during his address to his colleagues at the Commonwealth Leaders Summit, which was part of the major events leading to the coronation of the monarch as King of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Commonwealth.
During the event themed “The Commonwealth as a body and the role of the Youth”, President Buhari expressed gratitude to other world leaders and joy in shared aspirations and values within the period he related with them. He also stated that he had worked cordially with the leaders of the Commonwealth over the years to achieve the values and principles of the Commonwealth, which are shared by its members. He noted that the aspirations of the Commonwealth family, including positioning it to be a strong and respected voice in the world and improving the lives of all its citizens, are being vigorously pursued.
President Buhari expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, considering the turnout of voters and the generally peaceful atmosphere under which it took place. He pointed out that the elections saw a remarkable turnout of voters and demonstrated that Nigeria’s democracy is maturing. He acknowledged that although challenges still exist, the country had taken another step towards deepening its democracy with peaceful, transparent, and credible outcomes. He expressed his commitment to working towards greater participation of all Nigerians in the democratic process, including those in the diaspora.
President Buhari thanked the Commonwealth for sending a team to witness the conduct of the elections and noted that they were generally free and fair. He also highlighted the significant role that Nigerian youths played during the elections and in support of national development. He attributed a great part of this youth participation in the General Elections to the assent of the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Bill, which was signed into law by his Administration in 2018.
The President also announced that Nigeria would host the Commonwealth Youth and Students Summit for African Region with the theme, ‘Making Change Happen’ in Abuja from May 9-11, this year.
Source: https://dailytrust.com/this-will-be-my-last-official-engagement-buhari-bids-farewell-to-king-charles/