President Bola Tinubu and his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari have congratulated Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Edo governorship election, over his victory at the polls.
Senator Okpebholo emerged winner with a total of 291,667 votes.
Tinubu, in a statement on Sunday by his spokesman Bayo Onanuga, said that 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.
Tinubu commended APC national leaders, Edo State leaders and party governors for working hard to achieve victory.
He urged Okpebholo not to gloat over his victory but to see it as a challenging call to service.
He encouraged him to demonstrate magnanimity by reaching out to his political rivals and uniting the people of Edo State to ensure its development.
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.
He urged all those aggrieved by the election outcome to seek redress through the legal channels.
Tinubu also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its work.On the other hand, Buhari conveyed his congratulations in a statement signed by his spokesman Garba Shehu.
The former President described the outcome as a “prized, historic electoral victory,” expressing hope that both the incoming administration’s leaders and the defeated parties would work together to strengthen democracy and sustain the state’s development trajectory.
Buhari said, “Congratulations to the APC and the election winner, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on the historic electoral victory, and my warmest wishes for a new lease of life for Edo State and its people.
“I sincerely hope that both the winners and the losers will work together to strengthen democracy and maintain the development trajectory in the state.
“I commend the law enforcement agencies for their efforts in ensuring a peaceful election, and the multitude of election officials who strive to improve with each election.
“I pray that Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country, will continue to achieve remarkable progress under democracy.”
