- IBB greets President-elect, says he’s a good man for the job
- Your attributes, fidelity to progressive ideals needed at this time, Osinbajo tells Tinubu
- Foreign observers commend conduct of polls
- Obi sues for peace, heads to court to ‘retrieve mandate’
BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
There were jubilant scenes at the home of President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday evening, when the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima made a triumphal entry into the private residence in Daura, with each of them brandishing their certificates of return.
The certificates are symptomatic of their victory in the presidential election as issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Apparently overcome with a lot of emotions, seeing the “phenomenal election result,” President Buhari kept repeating, “My Good Lord, My Good Lord,” “Fantastic.”
“We are very lucky,” the President uttered as he warmly clasped the hand of the President-elect, “there were no problems. No bloodshed, no accidents. We have God Almighty to thank for this.”
He said he was pleased that the people chose the APC and its candidates, affirming through this, their desire that the momentum of development under the administration continues.
The President commended the party supporters and the Presidential Campaign Council for the “historic win,” which he said would never have been possible without discipline, commitment and hard work.
Tinubu in an interview said that as a loyal party man, he came to present the certificate to the President as the party leader and to commend him for his efforts to support democracy in Africa.
“This is the largest democracy in Africa. We could not have done any better. We are lucky, there is no accident and no matter how provocative a defeat is, we have to tolerate it if we are democrats. We have a nation to build,” he said.
The election winner and his deputy were accompanied to Daura by the Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, the founding chairman, Bisi Akande as well as the Governors of Katsina, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Lagos and Jigawa States.
Others were the Governors of Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Ogun and the former Governors of Borno, Ali Modu Sheriff and that of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari.
There were also Ministers of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare and Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
Also in the entourage were Kashim Imam, Wale Tinubu, the Deputy Governor of Katsina State, Mannir Yakubu and the Speaker of the Parliament of Kaduna state Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani.
Similarly, the First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Tinubu on his success at the just concluded presidential election.
She expressed confidence that he would lead this country into the future our forefathers envisioned for Nigeria.
Mrs. Buhari credited his political dexterity, foresight, and good intention to carry all Nigerians along, irrespective of our diversity as a singular factor that guaranteed his success at the poll.
Mrs. Buhari also congratulated the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima.
“I equally congratulate the wife of the President-elect, the incoming First Lady, and a grassroots politician, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. I have no doubt that Nigerian women will get a good deal during your tenure,” She said.
She thanked the good people of Nigeria, especially the women for ensuring that their votes counted and for voting for the APC candidates.
IBB greets President-elect over electoral victory
Meanwhile, a former military president of Nigeria, General (rtd) Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has congratulated Tinubu over his election as the 16th President of Nigeria.
In a statement issued by his media office, IBB commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for midwifing an election, which he said would lead to a new Nigeria.
Babangida commended Nigerians for going out en masse to exercise their voting rights and electing someone like Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next President of Nigeria.
According to him, “it’s a thing of joy that this is happening in my lifetime. I can confidently say that Tinubu is a good man for the job.
“I have no doubt that Tinubu would perform as the President of Nigeria. For some of us, who have been there before, I know that there is still more work to be done, and I believe that Tinubu has what it takes to take Nigeria to the next level.
“We have much potential as a nation, what we need is a good direction so that we can continue to be seen as the giant of Africa. Indeed our best is yet to come, but we can get to where we ought to be with determination and commitment.”
Babangida, said further that Tinubu is coming from the background of a performer, who loves his people with all his heart and who knows how to put a round peg in a round hole.
While urging Nigerians to join hands with Tinubu in the business of repairing the nation, he also appealed to other candidates to see the emergence of the former Lagos Governor as the will of God, saying that the work of nation building requires that all hands must be on deck.
“This is a bright moment for Nigeria, we have to take our destiny in our hands and make things work for us as a nation. We cannot continue to do things the same way, and I believe that God will make things work for this country again,” he said, adding that a new dawn has come for Nigeria.
.Your attributes, fidelity to progressive ideals needed at this time, Osinbajo tells Tinubu
On his part, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has written to congratulate Tinubu as the President-elect
According to him “I warmly congratulate the flag bearer of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on his victory at the 2023 Presidential Elections, and his declaration as President-Elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I also congratulate His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima on his declaration as Vice President-Elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Addressing the President-Elect, the Vice President stated that “in your previous years of public service, you have demonstrated a consistent fidelity to progressive and welfarist ideals, and an ability to build bridges across several divides.
“These attributes are needed especially at this time, to reach out to disaffected sections of our society and to meet the aspirational expectations of our young people who have shown such a strong desire to impact our democratic process in a positive way.
“I trust that they will not allow whatever setbacks they may have experienced to truncate their strong desire to determine the future course of our national journey.
“Through thick and thin, we must all remain focused on the objective of birthing the Nigeria of our dreams.
“I pray that Almighty God will help you to fulfill the progressive mandate of our Party, as well as your various plans to improve the security, welfare and happiness of all Nigerians.”
Earlier on Wednesday while presiding over the weekly Federal Executive Council, the Vice President had led Federal Ministers to congratulate the former Lagos Governor, his wife Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady-Designate and the Vice President-Elect Senator Kashim Shettima.
The Vice President said, “we wish him (Asiwaju) the very best as he prepares to lead the country in the next few months.”
He then directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to formally convey the felicitations of the Council.
Later, the Vice President attended the formal presentation of the INEC Certificates of Return to both the President-Elect and the Vice President-Elect at the National Collation Center located at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Foreign observers commend conduct of polls in Nigeria
Also, the Independent Foreign Observers Mission in Nigeria has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission on the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The mission which gave the commendation in its preliminary report on the just concluded election in Abuja described the poll as peaceful and transparent.
David Furnad of the United States read the report.
“The presidential elections in Nigeria recorded a high turnout of voters nationwide.
“It can also be regarded as one of the most transparent elections in the country’s history with the significant candidates recording victories and defeats.
“The presidential election witnessed a comparatively large turnout of voters in the various geopolitical zones compared to other general elections in the country.
“The South-west and the South-east zones witnessed the highest number of voters’ turnout, with eligible voters demonstrating an uncommon level of patience to exercise their franchise”.
“INEC deployed both sensitive and non-sensitive materials to voting points on time, even though the report recorded some delays in some areas, which it said did not deter voters from performing their civic duties.
“There were minimal incidences of vote buying across the country. The reason is that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) randomly visited polling units unannounced to arrest anyone involved in such acts.
“The country’s recent redesign of currency reduced vote buying to the barest minimum.”
The Mission praised some political parties and their candidates for honouring the Peace Accord and not inciting their supporters.
Those present at the presentation of the report included: Messrs Rudolf Elmendorp, Stuart Young, Stuart Dyer, Francois DeRobaix and Jeffrey Fry.
Obi sues for peace, heads to court to recollect ‘mandate’
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has called on his supporters all over the country to maintain peace and not to take the laws into their hands as the party works towards reclaiming its mandate given to him and his running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed in the February 25 presidential election.
Speaking in a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the party’s Vice Presidential candidate, Baba-Ahmed who represented his principal said “It is our position that the purported result did not meet the minimum criteria of a transparent, free and fair election. In addition to the most condemnable attacks, violence, voter intimidation and suppression, the election was conducted in clear violation of agreed and promised INEC rules and guidelines, the Electoral Act 2022 and indeed the Nigerian Constitution. As evident, the institutions of the State and leaders that were supposed to ensure the sanctity of the election, again and as in the past collaborated and colluded to subvert the will of the good people of Nigeria.
“Please be assured of our determination to fight the injustice that has been perpetrated on Nigerians through all legal and peaceful means. While painful, we implore you to please remain peaceful and calm. As our fight and determination for a New Nigeria is just beginning, we equally encourage you all to continue with the campaigns and vote massively for Labour Party in the forthcoming governorship and states house of Assembly election on Saturday 11th March 2023. Our Principal, His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi will in due course speak to you all and indeed the nation.”
Yusuf Baba-Ahmed asked Nigerians to continue to exercise their civic duties saying democracy belongs to the people who can practice it. He added that Nigeria should continue to make an effort to practice it.
“The only language we understand is peace. Obi and I believe even more in Nigeria and Nigerian people. We won an election in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, they refused to upload the result, they refused to refer to IReV just for them to defeat us. It took a serving government illegality and constitutional breech to defeat Peter Obi and my humble self. Nigerian people are winners and Nigerian people are waiting for a day when Peter Obi and myself, through the rigours of legality and constitutionality will get to power somehow, one day.”
Whether they have confidence in the judiciary, Datti said, “Irrespective of the low level of confidence we have in the system, your responsibility is your responsibility. Nigerians contested for the 2023 presidential election through Peter Obi and my humble self, we shall continue to keep the struggle alive irrespective of the low confidence level we have in the judiciary.
“We had extremely low confidence in the promise of the government concerning the election yet we went ahead with the election. So it doesn’t matter how low the confidence level we have in the judiciary but the law is the law.
“But there is a confidence we have in ourselves. The confidence we have in ourselves is that the election, so to say, did not hold because from the polling unit, the electoral act 2022 provided the direct transmission of results.
“It is that direct transmission that shows that elections were held and they were not transmitted. So if there were no results, what election are you talking about? Going to the ward collation units, no INEC officer shall make entries without him or her making reference to the existing ongoing concurrent IReV which did not exist. So, how did they collate? If there is no valid collation, what result are you talking about, if there are no results what elections are you talking about?” he asked.
He maintained the party’s stand on the “purported election” saying, “Illegality has been performed and as far as we are concerned, here is an incoming government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is illegal and unconstitutional and we are submitting our case to the court of law and it is for them irrespective of the level of confidence of Nigerians or Africans have in them. It is for them to shore up that level of confidence.”
