President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the winner of the 2023 Presidential Election.
Buhari acknowledged that the people elected Tinubu and, as such, the best person for the job. He pledged to work with him and his team to ensure an orderly handover of power.
Buhari further stated that the election was Africa’s largest democratic exercise, demonstrating the continued relevance and capability of democracy to deliver for the people it serves. He noted that the electoral map had shifted drastically in one cycle, with states in all regions across the nation changing colours. He added that the competition was good for democracy and that the people’s decision had been rendered in the results.
Buhari also commented on the reactions of the Peoples Democratic Party (Atiku Abubakar) and Labour Party (Peter Obi) candidates who called for the cancellation of the election, accusing INEC of compromise. He acknowledged there were technical problems with electronic transmission of the results and areas that needed work to bring further transparency and credibility to the voting procedure.
He urged politicians and candidates to bring forward evidence if they believed they could prove the fraud they claimed was committed against them. If they could not, then the election was indeed the people’s will. He encouraged any challenges to be taken to the courts, not the streets.
Buhari called on all candidates to act responsibly and remember the peace pledge they signed before the election. He urged them not to undermine the credibility of INEC and to move forward as one, as the people have spoken.
