President Muhammadu Buhari claims that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other APC candidates won the majority of Nigerians’ support in last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections as a result of the significant amount of development the current administration has brought about.
Speaking yesterday, while receiving in audience the president-elect and other leaders of the ruling party at his Daura country home, in Katsina State, the president, according to a statement issued by presidential spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, said he was pleased that the people chose the APC and its candidates. By this, Buhari said, the people affirmed their desire that the momentum of development under the current administration continues.
Buhari commended APC supporters and the Presidential Campaign Council for the “historic win,” which he said would never have been possible without discipline, commitment and hard work.
There were jubilant scenes at Buhari’s home yesterday evening, when the president-elect and the vice president-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, made a triumphal entry into the private residence in Daura, with each of them brandishing their certificates o return.
The certificates issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).were symptomatic of their victory in the presidential election.
Apparently overcome by emotion, following the phenomenal election result, Buhari kept repeating, “My Good Lord, My Good Lord, Fantastic.”
He said, “We are very lucky,” as he warmly clasped the hand of the president-elect, adding, “there were no problems. No blood shed, no accidents. We have God Almighty to thank for this.”
Speaking with newsmen after the visit, Tinubu said the purpose of his visit to the president was to appreciate him and present him with the Certificate of Return from INEC.
Tinubu said, “I came to present the certificate of return to him (Buhari) as the party leader and commend his efforts in supporting democracy in Africa. This is the largest democracy in Africa and he couldn’t have done any better, we are lucky there is no incident, there is no accident, and no matter how provocative a defeat is, we still have to tolerate it because we are democrats and we are trying to build a nation.”
On the take away from his visit to Buhari in Daura, the president-elect said, “Well the calmness and commitment and the fact that after voting he taught us again dedication to our party by displaying his ballot papers. Loyalty to the party and being ready to create a future for all of us and no matter how tempting the problem of democracy is, he is following the process, building a successor and ready to hand over peacefully, you know in Africa it’s a big deal.”
Tinubu also disclosed that he had received many congratulatory messages from world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
According to him, “Oh very many of that, in fact as far as Europe, the stock market reacted positively well, there was a goodwill message from Macron, the president of France.”
The president-elect and his deputy were accompanied to Daura by the national chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the founding chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, as well as the governors of Katsina, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Lagos and Jigawa states.
Others were the governors of Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Ogun and the former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff, and that of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari.
There were also Ministers of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, and Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
On Tinubu’s entourage also were Alhaji Kashim Imam, Wale Tinubu, Deputy Governor of Katsina State, Mannir Yakubu, and Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani.