President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians of his determination to ensure that the 2019 general elections are free and fair.

The President re-emphasized this when a delegation of Imams and senior Islamic scholars from the 36 states of the federation visited him at the State House on Friday.

He said that a number of measures have been put in place to see the gradual improvement of elections, especially in Edo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States, describing the polls witnessed in Rivers and Kogi States as “dismal and unacceptable.”

According to the President, “What I want to assure Nigerians is that I will continue to pressure the Police and other agencies to do their best to ensure a conducive atmosphere for free and fair elections.”

On the issue of security raised by the religious group, President Buhari said he will continue to nudge security agencies to find lasting solutions, stressing, however, the need for community and religious leaders to play a part in identifying criminals in their midst.

The President in a statement by his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, thanked the Muslim leaders for recognising the various achievements of his administration especially, in dealing with security, fighting corruption and progress in agriculture.

“I am not satisfied with the reporting of agriculture. Millions of our citizens have returned to the farms with many leaving white collar jobs for opportunities in agriculture,” he noted.

The leader of the delegation, Dr Khalid Aliyu, who is the Secretary-General of the Jama’atul Nasril Islam, commended the President’s achievements in key areas of his campaign in 2015 namely, security, corruption and the economy.

According to him, “So far, so good, the government has gone a long way in meeting its promises.”

•Sourced from a Channels TV report

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