President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu upon his victory in the keenly contested February 25 presidential elections.
In an electoral process heavily characterised by upsets in Lagos and other places, Tinubu polled over eight million votes to cruise to victory, with Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso coming second, third and fourth, respectively.
In his speech, Buhari hailed the process that produced Tinubu as democratic and praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for meeting the expectations of Nigerians.
Ikeja Bird gathers four key takeaways from the president’s speech.
1. Democracy is ripening in our country
“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.”
2. There were some faults in the process
“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.”
3. If you have evidence of fraud, bring it out
“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.”
4. Time to come together and act responsibly
“After a degree of polarization that necessarily accompanies any election, it is now time to come together and act responsibly. I call on all candidates to remember the peace pledge they signed just days before the election. Do not undermine the credibility of INEC. Let us now move forward as one. The people have spoken.”
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