President Buhari signs Executive Order No. 14 to facilitate peaceful transition of power

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has said in a tweet that he has signed Executive Order No.14 of 2023 on the facilitation and management of Presidential transitions.

“The new Executive Order puts in place a legal framework for the seamless transition of power from one Presidential Administration to another”, said  His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari. He added that the establishment of a presidential transition council has been approved and it would be chaired by the Secretary to the government of the federation, to facilitate and manage the 2023 presidential transition programme. President Buhari would be leaving office as Nigerians go to the polls later this month.

Nigeria like many African countries practices a two-term of four years tenure of presidential leadership. The president and members of the bicameral National Assembly, consisting of a 109-member Senate and a 360-member House of Representatives, are elected to a maximum of two four-year terms. These constitutional structures render Buhari ineligible to seek another term in office.

Buhari became the president of the federal republic in 2015. He is a retired Nigerian Army major general who was the country’s military head of State from 1983 to 1985 before he was ousted by a military coup.

Before he emerged as Nigerian president in 2015, Buhari ran for the presidency in 2003, 2007, and 2011 consecutively. He won the 2015 presidential elections, defeating the incumbent president at the time, Goodluck Jonathan. 

In 2019, he was re-elected as president, defeating former vice president Atiku Abubakar by over 3 million votes. Abubakar is also running for office in this year’s elections, with the hashtag #RecoverNigeria, under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He would be contesting against the All Progressives Congress (APC) former Lagos State Governor,  Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has been endorsed by President Buhari, describing him and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, former Governor of Borno State, as capable men who understand the problems of Nigeria, in addition to being problem solvers, and committed to the country’s unity and progress. 

Other forces in this election are the former Governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, representing the Labour Party, and former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, representing the New Nigeria People’s Party. 

The 62nd Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State held in December 2022 was Buhari’s last. Heads of state bade farewell to him, as he was attending for his final time. He was applauded for showing exemplary leadership in the community and for his commitment to safeguarding democratic norms.