Buhari congratulates Tinubu, asks disenchanted losers to go to court

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President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a congratulatory message to the winner of the 2023 Presidential Election, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Tinubu.

Buhari congratulated tinubu after the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC Professor Mahmood Yakubu declared the APC flag bearer president-elect.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Wednesday morning declared Tinubu as winner of Feb. 25 presidential election with 8,794,726 votes.

Tinubu defeated his closest rival Atiku Abubakar of the People Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of Labour Party who secured 6,101,533 votes of the 24,965,218 total vote cast.

Also, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso- of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) came distance fourth with 1,496,687 votes.

Reacting to the results announced by the INEC chairman, Buhari said:

“I congratulate His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his victory. Elected by the people, he is the best person for the job. I shall now work with him and his team to ensure an orderly handover of power.

“The election was Africa’s largest democratic exercise. In a region that has undergone backsliding and military coups in recent years, this election demonstrates democracy’s continued relevance and capability to deliver for the people it serves.

“Within Nigeria, the results reveal democracy’s ripening in our country. Never has the electoral map shifted so drastically in one cycle.

“In the presidential elections, states in all regions across the nation changed colour.

”Some amongst you may have noticed my home state amongst them. The winning candidate did not carry his own home state either. That happens during a competitive election.

”Votes and those that cast them cannot be taken for granted. Each must be earned. Competition is good for our democracy.

”There is no doubt the people’s decision has been rendered in the results we look at today.”

The president said there were technical problems with electronic transmission of the results, added that efforts would be intensified to bring further transparency and credibility to the voting procedure in the country.

He said: “That is not to say the exercise was without fault. For instance, there were technical problems with electronic transmission of the results.

”Of course, there will be areas that need work to bring further transparency and credibility to the voting procedure.

“However, none of the issues registered represent a challenge to the freeness and fairness of the elections.”

“I know some politicians and candidates may not agree with this view. That too is fine.

”If any candidate believes they can prove the fraud they claim is committed against them, then bring forward the evidence.

”If they cannot, then we must conclude that the election was indeed the people’s will – no matter how hard that may be for the losers to accept. If they feel the need to challenge, please take it to the courts, not to the streets.

Similarly, Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State who also congratulated Tinubu said electing Sen. Ahmed Bola Tinubu as President-elect of Nigeria, is like putting a ‘square peg in a square hole’.

Masari stated this while briefing newsmen in Katsina shortly after Tinubu was declared winner of the Saturday, Feb. 25, Presidential election.

The governor said Tinubu is resouceful, has the brain and capacity to rule Nigeria, adding that God had vindicated them by disappointing those who doubted their ability to elect Tinubu as president.

“We have delivered because we turned out en-mass with our supporters and voted Bola Tinubu as our President.

“I am still appealing to our supporters to come out in large numbers, and elect Umar Dikko-Radda, to succeed me as next Governor of Katsina State in the Gubernatorial election slated for Match 11,” Masari said.

He said Dikko- Radda was a fine leader who would consolidate on the gains he had achieved in the the state.

He commended INEC for conducting a free and fair election, and urged the electoral body not to listen to unpatriotic individuals..”