By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his displeasure over the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying the crisis was lasting too long and was already hurting many people.
Mr Buhari gave his opinion on the issue when he had a meeting with members of the diplomatic corps in Abuja on Thursday, urging world leaders to quickly look for a way to bring the war to an end.
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded its European neighbour after Ukraine failed to back down on its plans to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), with the United States as one of its members.
During yesterday’s gathering, the President called for greater consideration for humanitarian conditions in the affected areas in the ongoing crisis, warning that the conflict will get worse if an immediate resolution is not found.
“The war has lasted too long, cost so much and hurt too many people, well beyond the immediate theatres.
“The rest of the world is progressively facing the impact of the conflict and this will certainly get worse, if an immediate resolution is not found, not least in the area of food security,” he said.
President Buhari welcomed the recent initiative of UN Secretary-General, Mr Antonio Gutteres, of visiting Moscow and Kyiv, commending his efforts in search of a ceasefire, as a prelude to other enduring solutions.
“The United Nations must continue to actively lead the way for engagements that could ultimately unlock peace through diplomacy, Mr Buhari said.
He also used the occasion to caution against foreign interference in the forthcoming elections, saying, “As you are all aware, the tenure of this administration ends on May 29, 2023.
“Typical of election years all over the world, the tempo of political activities is often high. That is the nature of democracy. I am committed to bequeathing a stronger culture of credible elections to Nigeria than I met.
“As Nigeria goes through this trajectory, I urge our friends in the global community, represented by you the Diplomatic Corps, to adopt a positive role that reinforces the doctrine of respect for our internal affairs and respect for facts and devoid of preconceived notions and bias,” he said.
President Buhari also warned those planning to rig the 2023 general elections to perish the thought, vowing to use every legitimate means to protect the votes of Nigerians.
“Those planning to rig the forthcoming elections should think twice because I intend to resolutely protect and defend the sacred will of the Nigerian people, to be expressed through the ballot box,” he declared.
He also lamented the bitter impact of the Libyan crisis on the countries in the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and West and Central Africa is still enormous and catastrophic.
“The world needs to work together to combat these common challenges and I call on all your respective countries to reflect on this and collaborate with countries in these regions to combat this consequential spread of violence,” he said.
In his remarks, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and High Commissioner of Cameroon to Nigeria, Mr Ibrahima Salaheddine, pledged that the international community would continue to support Nigeria before, during and after the forthcoming general elections.
“As Nigeria enters another electoral year, we pray Almighty Allah to put the electoral process under divine guidance for peaceful, free and fair elections,” he said.
Adedapo Adesanya