September 23, (THEWILL) – President Bola Tinubu congratulated the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Saturday’s Edo State governorship election, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on his victory at the polls.
Okpebholo was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday, having defeated 17 other contenders for the position.
The President, in a statement issued on Sunday night, by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, urged Okpebholo not to gloat over his victory but to see it as a challenging call to service.
Charging Okpebholo to demonstrate magnanimity by reaching out to his political rivals and uniting the people of Edo State to ensure its development, the President commended APC national leaders, Edo State leaders and party governors for working hard to achieve victory.
According to him, the victory testified to the people’s support for the ruling party, its progressive ideals, its economic reengineering programme and its commitment to improving the lives of Nigerians.
President Tinubu also praised other candidates who participated in the election for their contributions to advancing Nigeria’s democracy, saying peaceful political contests, such as the one on Saturday, portray Nigeria as a stable democracy.
The President urged all those aggrieved by the election outcome to seek redress through the legal channels.
In addition, President Tinubu commended the people of Edo State, for their orderly and peaceful conduct during the election, underscoring the maturing of Nigeria’s democracy after 25 years.
“I commend the INEC and our security agencies for working round the clock to conduct a successful, peaceful and largely hitch-free exercise. INEC has once again demonstrated that it is committed to organising a free and fair election in our country”, the President said.
