President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Saturday’s Edo State governorship election, on his victory at the polls.
Senator Okpebholo was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, after defeating both the PDP and Labour Party candidates.
Mr Tinubu in a statement made by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga commended APC national leaders, Edo State leaders, and party governors for working hard to achieve victory.
He said 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.
He urged Senator Okpebholo not to gloat over his victory but to see it as a challenging call to service.
Speaking further in the statement, President Tinubu encouraged him to demonstrate magnanimity by reaching out to his political rivals and uniting the people of Edo State to ensure its development.
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, the president 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”, President Tinubu said.
