Moments ago, President Muhammadu Buhari received his certificate of
return as ‘president-elect’ from INEC alongside his VP, Yemi Osinbajo.
At the ceremony, President Buhari said, ‘I am grateful to God for
sparing our lives to witness another milestone in Nigeria’s democratic
development namely conclusion of the Presidential election in an
overwhelmingly peaceful manner’.
See the rest of his statement below….
I wish, Mr Chairman, to congratulate all the Presidential candidates
and their teams on a hard-fought campaign. We may have had different
views during the campaign, but the one thing most of us have in common
is love of our country and our desire to improve conditions for
Nigerians.From the comments of several observers both local and foreign, it is obvious that the elections were both free and fair.
Now that the elections are over, and a winner declared, we must all
see it as a victory for Nigeria, our dear country. That was why I
encouraged my teeming supporters, in a speech I read earlier today, not
to gloat. Our God-given victory is enough cause for joy, without
deriding those who were in the opposition. All Nigerians, going forward,
must stand in brotherhood, for a bright and fulfilling future.I therefore want to assure that we will continue to engage all
parties that have the best interest of Nigerians at heart. Our
Government will remain inclusive and our doors will remain open. That is
the way to build the country of our dream; safe, secure, prosperous,
and free of impunity and primitive accumulation by those entrusted with
public offices.The hard work to deliver a better Nigeria continues, building on the
foundations of peace, rule of law and opportunities for all. We will
roll up our sleeves afresh, and give it our all. We have no other motive
than to serve Nigeria with our hearts and might, and build a nation
which we and generations to come can be proud of.I am very grateful to the over 15 million citizens who voted for me,
those who contributed in many ways in the running of our successful
campaign, and those at home and abroad who expressed confidence in me
and the APC Government. I thank you all.I can assure that you will see a country moving to the Next Level, as
we consolidate on our fundamental areas of securing the country,
reviving the economy, and fighting corruption. Many other focal areas,
as stated in our campaign manual, will be added, to the good things we
plan for our country.Let me pay tribute here to those who lost their lives either through
accidents or mindless violence during the course of these elections. My
heart and thoughts are with the families of the victims. May God comfort
and give them the fortitude to bear the loss.Election is not war, and should never be seen as a do or die affair. I
pray that we all accept this democratic approach to elections, however
contentious.Thank you all and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
