Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has called on all Presidential Candidates to remember the peace pledged, signed just days before the election and do not undermine the credibility of Independent National Electoral Commission.
Buhari, while congratulating the President-elect, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu of All Progressives Congress APC for winning the Saturday’s elections, said Nigerians should move forward as one, saying the people have spoken.
Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu was declared winner at the Collation Center in Abuja this morning, after polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar of People’s Democratic Party who scored 6,984,520 and the Labour Party, Peter Obi with 6,101,533 votes.
The President said within Nigeria, the results reveal democracy’s ripening in the 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.
“That is not to say the exercise was without fault. For instance, there were technical problems with electronic transmission of results. Of course, there will be areas that need work to bring further transparency and credibility to the voting procedure”, he said.
Buhari boldly said that he 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.
“However, to do the latter means they are not doing it in the interest of the people, but rather to inflame, to put people in harm’s way and all for personal, selfish gains.
“After a degree of polarization that necessarily accompanies any election, it is now time to come together and act responsibly”, he added.
Meanwhile, the People’s democratic party PDP and Labor Party Vice Presidential candidates Ifeanyi Okowa and Datti Baba-Ahmed have called for the outright cancellation of Saturday’s Presidential election, describing the exercise as a sham.
Addressing Journalists at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the Delta Governor said the election was neither free nor fair adding that what played out yesterday at the National Collation Center exposes INEC of playing to a predetermined script.
They added that, INEC as a body is under statutory obligation to transmit election results electronically as supported by the electoral act 2022, explained that the argument that INEC guidelines have no force of law is idle and wayward arguments.