Nigeria’s President-elect, Bola Tinubu, addressed the main opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party, on Wednesday in Daura, Katsina State. He urged them to accept their defeat in the February 25 presidential election and to set aside their grievances in favor of national development. “No matter how provocative a defeat is, we still have to tolerate it because we are democrats and we are trying to build a nation,” Tinubu stated during his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari’s private residence. This appeal followed his receipt of the certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, where he won the election with over eight million votes.
Tinubu secured a total of 8,794,726 votes, winning in 12 states, while his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, received 6,984,520 votes. Peter Obi of the Labour Party garnered 6,101,533 votes, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party obtained 1,496,687 votes. Despite these results, the opposition parties have rejected INEC’s declaration, alleging significant irregularities in the vote count and criticizing the commission for its failure to transmit results electronically. Both parties have called for the cancellation of the election and demanded the resignation of INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, claiming the election was rigged in favor of the APC.
During his visit to Daura, Tinubu emphasized the importance of unity and collaboration in nation-building. He presented his certificate of return to Buhari, commending the outgoing president for his support of democracy in Africa. “This is the largest democracy in Africa, and he couldn’t have done any better. We are fortunate that there were no incidents or accidents during the election,” he remarked. Tinubu praised Buhari as a loyal party leader committed to a peaceful transfer of power, highlighting his dedication to the democratic process.
Furthermore, Tinubu noted that he has received numerous congratulatory messages from world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron. He also mentioned that the stock market had reacted positively to his electoral victory. “I have received many messages of goodwill. In fact, the stock market in Europe reacted very positively,” he said. Earlier, President Buhari assured Nigerians of his commitment to working closely with Tinubu’s team to ensure an orderly handover of power. He also advised the aggrieved parties to take their complaints to the courts rather than resorting to protests in the streets.
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