2023 Elections ‘Handled Peacefully’ – Rwandan High Commissioner Says, Hails Buhari

Presidency has quoted the outgoing Rwandan High Commissioner to have said during the weekend that the just concluded 2023 general elections in Nigeria were handled peacefully.

According to President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the Rwandan elite, Stanislas Kamanzi, said on Saturday that he was happy for Nigeria and how Buhari ensure the elections went well.

In a statement handed down to journalists on Saturday, Kamanzi reportedly described the “successful completion” of the 2023 elections as an affirmation of the ability of African nations to “handle their destiny” in a peaceful way.

Naija News reports that Kamanzi was quoted to have said this when he paid Buhari a visit at the State House, Abuja, on the occasion of the completion of his diplomatic mission.

Presidency quoted Kamanzio as saying he is going back to his country with a high sense of fulfilment after his eight-year tenure, “having registered assurances that Nigeria is a friendly country” and in the full expectation that his successor will build on his work here.

On his part, President Buhari congratulated the outgoing diplomat on his very successful tour of duty and spoke about a range of issues and the substantial progress made in the Nigeria-Rwanda relationship over the past eight years.

“The President and the High Commissioner discussed bilateral accomplishments in the area of aviation, with Rwanda Airline operating eight weekly flights to Lagos and five to Abuja and the progress towards a Nigeria-Rwanda Joint Commission which has been signed and soon to be inaugurated,” the statement issued by Shehu on behalf of the presidency read.

President Buhari noted the uncommon coincidence of the High Commissioner and himself coming in eight years ago and leaving at about the same time.

“You saw us come in and you are about to see us leaving. When we came, the Northeast was a big problem. Lake Chad was much affected by climate change and the neighbouring regions were experiencing turbulence,” the Nigerian leader said, adding that he was pleased with the progress made in normalizing the situation in the area, especially at this time when, according to him, “there is a very active governor” in Borno State.

Concluding his statement, Kamanzi reportedly thanked the Nigerian government officials for creating a true spirit of mutual cooperation, without any artificial barriers that enabled him to make a success of his duty tour in Nigeria.