Pledging a commitment to good governance, anti-corruption, democracy and fighting terrorism, newly elected Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari addressed a Washington, D.C., gathering July 22 during his first trip to the U.S. since his election in March.  

The event, co-sponsored by NDI and held at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), came on the last day of a three-day visit that also included an Oval Office visit with President Obama and a dinner attended by NDI Chairman Madeleine Albright.  The USIP meeting was co-hosted by  the International Republican Institute (IRI), the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Atlantic Council.

During his remarks, President Buhari thanked NDI, IRI and IFES for their their partnership and support for the democratic process in Nigeria. “Your doggedness, calling a spade a spade in 2003, 2007 and 2011 have been greatly appreciated by us Nigerians who are dedicated to ensuring free and fair elections in our country,” Buhari said.

“Nigeria confounded the pessimists and its critics. All those who predicted the worst possible post-election scenarios for Nigeria missed the mark by very wide margins,” he said, noting that the polls were peaceful and attested “to the fact that elections in Africa can be conducted in a free, fair and credible manner.”

Chris Fomunyoh, NDI regional director for Central and West Africa programs, joined colleagues from IRI and IFES in co-authoring an op-ed that highlighted Buhari’s trip and called on the United States and the international community to pledge renewed support and continued partnership with Nigeria to further the country's democratic growth. The other authors were Gretchen Birkle, regional director for Africa at IRI, and Rushdi Nackerdien, regional director for Africa at IFES.

Read President Buhari’s full remarks at the United States Institute of Peace here.

View the full op-ed co-authored by Chris Fomunyoh here.

Below is a round-up of media coverage of the USIP event:

• New York Times, “Boko Haram Helped by U.S. Policies, Nigerian President Says”
• BBC, “Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari: US ‘Aiding’ Boko Haram with Arms Ban”
• Pulse.ng (Nigeria), “Read Full Text of President’s Speech at US Institute for Peace”
• Daily Times (Nigeria), “Nigerians Must Fix Nigeria, Says Buhari”

Published on July 24, 2015