Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari says he will give opposition political parties in the country the opportunities he was never given in the past.

Buhari, who stated this on Monday when he received a delegation from the United States International Republican and National Democratic Institute at the Presidential Villa promised to ensure a level playing field for all contestants into various political offices in the coming elections.

Buhari said he knows what it feels to be cheated, having contested the presidential election three times before he eventually won in 2015. He said the previous practice was to award votes and tell whoever was dissatisfied to seek redress in court.

“I am glad you are here to assess our pre-election preparations. It reminds me of the visit by the then Secretary of State, John Kerry before the 2015 polls. We appreciate the concern of America for stability in developing countries.

“Having run for president three times, ending up at the Supreme Court all three times, before God and technology made a way for me the fourth time, I know what it is to be cheated at the polls.

“What they used to do was just to award votes and tell anyone who was dissatisfied to go to court. But we won’t do that. I am prepared to give the opposition the opportunities I was not given in the past,” Buhari said.

The President assured the delegation that he has instructed heads of security agencies not to be partisan but to do their work professionally and allow the will of the people to prevail.

He further stressed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would keep faith with its priorities of securing the country, reviving the economy, and fighting corruption, adding that he was happy that the opposition has not been able to successfully fault the focal areas of his government.

“We have done fairly well in the areas we focused on. We know how many local government areas in the North-East were under Boko Haram occupation before we came.

“That does not happen again save for cowardly attacks using young girls as suicide bombers. Other areas of security challenge like farmers/herdsmen clashes are receiving attention and will be sorted out as much as possible,” he added.