Buhari Assures Tinubu Of Peaceful Handover Of Power, After Faulting Electoral Process

By Kehinde Jemine

Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress’s presidential candidate, was congratulated by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retired), for winning the February 25 presidential elections on Wednesday in Daura, Katsina State.

Buhari stated that in order to secure a “orderly turnover of power,” he will now engage closely with Mr. Tinubu’s staff.

In a statement issued early on Wednesday and signed by the President’s Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari acknowledged mistakes made in the election, particularly in the electronic transmission of results, but insisted that this did not affect the elections’ integrity or fairness.

As a result, he advised those who had been wronged to “take your concerns to the courts, not to the streets.”

President Buhari congratulates Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the winner of the presidential election, according to the statement.

The Independent National Electoral Commission announced Mr. Tinubu as the winner of the presidential elections early on Wednesday, according to The PUNCH, 72 hours after the results collation process started.

Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party received 6,984,520 votes, Peter Obi of the Labour Party received 6,101,533 votes, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party received 1,496,687 votes. Tinubu received 8,794,726 votes and won in 12 states.

As a result, I congratulate His Excellency Bola Tinubu on his win, Buhari remarked in response to the results.

“He was chosen by the people and is the best candidate for the position. I will now cooperate with him and his group to facilitate a smooth transfer of authority.

“The election was the biggest democratic process in Africa. This election shows that democracy is still relevant and capable of serving its constituents in a region that has recently experienced backsliding and military coups.

The President claimed that the election results on Saturday demonstrate Nigeria’s maturing democracy.

Never, in his opinion, has the electoral landscape changed so significantly in a single election cycle. States around the country changed color during the presidential elections.

Some of you may have noted that one of them is my home state. The victorious candidate did not even win his own state of residence.

“It takes place during a close election. Votes cannot be taken for granted, nor can the people who voted them. Each has to be acquired. We need competition in our democracy. Without a question, the outcomes we examine today reflect the will of the people.

Buhari acknowledged that there were issues with the election, nevertheless.

Buhari maintained that the error did not affect the freeness and fairness of the polls by pointing to INEC’s failure to electronically submit the results.

The PUNCH says that the PDP and LP challenged the results on Monday, citing irregularities, well before the national collation exercise was finished in Abuja.

Due to allegations that the election was manipulated in the APC’s favor, both parties demanded that the results be annulled and that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of INEC, resign.

Buhari disagrees, though.

That does not mean the exercise was perfect, he continued. The electronic transmission of the findings, for instance, ran into technical issues.

There will undoubtedly be some areas that require improvement in order to increase the voting process’s credibility and transparency. None of the concerns submitted, meanwhile, pose a threat to the elections’ integrity and fairness.

I am aware that not all politicians and candidates share my opinion. It’s okay that too. Bring forth the proof if a candidate thinks they can establish the fraud you allege was committed against you.

If they are unable to, we must draw the conclusion that the results of the election reflect the will of the electorate, regardless of how difficult it may be for the losers to accept. Take it to the courts, not the streets, if they feel the need to contest, please.

He claimed that taking to the streets was not in the best interests of the populace and would only inflame Nigerians and put them in danger for “personal, selfish benefits.”

Buhari asked the candidates to keep in mind the terms of the peace agreement they reached just before the election.

“It’s time to band together and take responsibility. All candidates are urged to keep in mind the peace vow they made immediately before the election.

“Don’t cast doubt on INEC’s authority. Now let’s advance collectively. The populace has spoken,” he declared.

While everything was going on, the APC triumph was being celebrated at the President’s private mansion in Daura.

The governors of Katsina and Daura, Aminu Masari and Dr. Umar Umar, respectively, led members of their respective ministries on separate visits, according to a statement from the President’s spokesman, Shehu.

He praised voters for their overwhelming support of the APC in the presidential and national assembly elections and urged them to continue organizing in preparation for the 2019 gubernatorial and assembly elections.