The President has dismissed the allegation that he is forcing voters to elect candidates other than those they preferred.
President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the claim in a statement on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu.
“I believe in the will of the people,” he said emphatically, adding “I cannot, therefore, put pressure on voters to elect leaders they don’t like.”
The President describing the claim as baseless, noting that at no time did he give instructions that the electorate should vote particular candidates.
He, however, has called on Nigerians to come out en masse and participate in the supplementary elections scheduled for Saturday.
President Buhari appealed to voters not to get tired of coming out to vote in the supplementary elections, saying “these elections are no less important than others before them.”
He urged the people to vote for the candidates they believe would deliver on promises because it was their constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights.
The President, therefore, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to ensure that the supplementary polls were conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law and Constitution.
He thanked the voters for re-electing him for a second term in office and promised not to forget their sacrifices in defying harsh weather conditions to vote for him.
“I was deeply overwhelmed by your show of incredible confidence in me, and I will never let you down. Thank you for your sincere show of support for me,” President Buhari stated.
He gave assurance that he would work with elected representatives of the people regardless of the political party platforms on which they were elected.
The President said he would also work in the best interest of the country and democracy.
INEC had fixed March 23 to conduct supplementary polls in 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the March 9 Governorship and House of Assembly elections.
