Akufo-Addo to Nigerians: Africa is looking up to you

The flagbearer of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Akufo-Addo has said the whole of Africa is looking up to Nigeria to have free democratic elections this weekend.

Africa’s most populous country goes to the polls to elect a new President on Saturday, March 28, 2015. Nearly 70 million Nigerians will go to the polls to elect the next President and Members to the House of Representatives and the Senate.

It will be the country’s fifth election since the end of military rule in 1999 and a very big step in the continuing process of consolidating democracy in the most powerful country in our region in the size of both its economy and population.

In a well-wishing statement issued Tuesday and signed by Mr Akufo-Addo, the former Attorney General said: “The New Patriotic Party and I wish to send our best wishes to the people of Nigeria for these elections.”

“We, in the NPP and in Ghana, generally, join the good people of Nigeria in praying for a free, fair and peaceful elections across the entire Federal Republic.

“We see the success of democracy in Nigeria as the success for democracy in Ghana, West Africa and our continent as a whole. This is because our destinies, hopes and aspirations are linked in our collective quest to create free, fair and modern societies of opportunity and prosperity in Africa.

“We are also pleased by the fact that two prominent figures of our country are playing key supporting roles in ensuring a successful outcome in the polls.

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor heads the ECOWAS Observer Mission, and President John Mahama is Chairman of the regional body, ECOWAS. We are confident that our two distinguished statesmen will play their respective roles with the requisite integrity to advance the cause of democracy in our neighbouring country.

“The whole of Africa is looking up to its most populous country to come through these elections with flying colours.

“Above all, the people of Nigeria must come together after the election to carry on the work of building a strong nation, governed by the rule of law, respect for human rights, and the principles of democratic accountability,” the three-time flagbearer added.