President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Malabo condemned recent political violence in Rivers State, saying that the killing of people over political differences was primitive, barbaric and unacceptable.
“We will deal decisively with all sponsors of violence. I have given the security services clear directives in this regard.
“We will show that violence in any form will no longer be tolerated before, during or after elections,” the President said during an interactive meeting with Nigerians resident in Equatorial Guinea.
Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), in a statement on Tuesday, quoted the President as saying that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be encouraged to explore the possibility of Nigerians abroad voting in the 2019 general elections.
Noting that some African countries have started enabling their citizens resident abroad to vote in national elections, the President said that he fully empathised with the desire of Nigerians in the diaspora to vote in national elections.
President Buhari pledged that he will therefore do all within his power to fulfil that desire. “I want all Nigerians to know that I respect them and their right to choose their leaders,” he said.
The President also said that establishing a new national airline was not currently on the Federal Government’s list of priorities.
President Buhari declared that his administration’s main area of focus now was reducing the level of poverty in the country.
The President said that developing the infrastructure needed to boost production in all sectors of the economy and create more jobs for young Nigerians, as well as other actions that will directly improve the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians will continue to be prioritized by his administration.
President Buhari was responding to complaints by members of the Nigerian community about the absence of direct flights between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.
The President assured them that his administration’s war against corruption will remain “fearless, relentless and merciless”.
“We will be merciless and relentless in pursuing all those who abused public trust. Nigerians will see how some of the elite conspired to run the nation down,” he said.