Olayiwola Matthew
President Bola Tinubu has led thousands of Nigerians to congratulate the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Edo gubernatorial election, Monday Okpebholo, over his victory at the poll, describing the triumph as a prove that Nigerians love the ruling party’s policies and programs.
Tinubu, meanwhile, commended APC national leaders, Edo State leaders, and party governors for working hard to achieve victory during the poll.
The president, in a statement released on Sunday by his Special Adviser Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, boasted that Nigerians appreciated APC progressive ideals, its economic reengineering programme and its commitment to improving the lives of Nigerians.
Meanwhile, he urged Okpebholo not to gloat over his victory but to see it as a challenging call to service. He encouraged him to demonstrate magnanimity by reaching out to his political rivals and uniting the people of Edo State to ensure its development.
Tinubu praised other candidates who participated in the election for their contributions to advancing Nigeria’s democracy, saying peaceful political contests, such as the one on Saturday, portray Nigeria as a stable democracy.
The President, however, appealed to candidates not satisfied with outcome of the election to seek redress through the legal channels.
In addition, the President commended the people of Edo State for their orderly and peaceful conduct during the election, underscoring the maturing of Nigeria’s democracy after 25 years.
“I commend the INEC and our security agencies for working round the clock to conduct a successful, peaceful and largely hitch-free exercise.
“INEC has once again demonstrated that it is committed to organising a free and fair election in our country,” President Tinubu added.