By Ihie Grace
Nigeria’s President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has urged Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and other Presidential candidates not satisfied with his emergence to go to court.
According to Tinubu, anyone willing to challenge the outcome of the electoral process should seek legal recourse and not violence.
He said this in his acceptance speech following his declaration as the President-elect after polling 8,805,655 votes to defeat his closest rivals; Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi who polled 6,984,520 and 6,098,588 votes respectively.
Tinubu, while appreciating God, his party, family and the people of Nigeria for electing him to serve as their 16th president, extended hands of friendship to the other three leading presidential candidates, adding they had been opponents but not enemies.
He, however, stated that it is indefensible to resort to violence in a process that could be challenged in court.
“Still, I know some candidates will be hard put to accept the election results. It is your right3 to seek legal recourse. What is neither right nor defensible is for anybody to resort to violence. Any challenge to the electoral outcome should be made in a court of law, and not in the streets.
“I also ask my supporters to let peace reign and tensions fade. We ran a principled, peaceful and progressive campaign.
“Yes, there are divisions amongst us that should not exist. Many people are uncertain, angry and hurt; I reach out to every one of you. Let the better aspects of our humanity step forward at this fateful moment. Let us begin to heal and bring calm to our nation,” he said.