Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide congratulates Tinubu on his election victory

OHANAEZE Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has joined the ranks of organisations that have congratulated Nigeria's president-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu sending him a goodwill message following his return from abroad today after about a month away.

On Saturday February 25, Nigerians went to the polls to elect a new president and the Independent National Election Commission (Inec) subsequently declared Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner. Among the other main gladiators in the contest were Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Peter Obi of the Labour Party and former Kano State governor Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP).

Inec chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as the returning officer for the presidential election, declared Asiwaju Tinubu the victor of the contest with 8,794,726 votes, defeating Alhaji Abubakar of the PDP, who came second with 6,984,520 votes and Governor Obi who came third with 6,101,533 votes. On May 29, President-elect Tinubu is going to be sworn-in in line with the dictates of Nigeria's constitution but the PDP and the Labour Party are challenging the elections in court.

After being declared winner, Asiwaju Tinubu left Nigeria for France on Tuesday, March 21 to rest and plan the transition programme ahead of his inauguration and only returned today. Welcoming him back, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the national president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, said the time of electioneering was over and the Igbo youths congratulate Asiwaju Tinubu on his victory at the keenly-contested elections.

He added that it was time to close ranks and work with the president-elect to restore the lost hopes and glory of the country, pointing out that the time for politicking is over. Furthermore, he said proponents of an interim government should jettison such an idea as Nigeria has to move forward regardless of how anyone feels about the outcome of the polls.

Mazi Nnabuike said: "It was a hard fought victory. The election shook emotions across the country and at the end of it all, Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged victorious, so we heartily congratulate him and urge others to do same.

“Those who feel aggrieved with the outcome of the election are already before the tribunal, so the ideal thing is to allow the law to run its course. Anyone nursing the idea of an interim government should drop it completely as it is dead on arrival.”

He urged the incoming Tinubu administration to form an inclusive government as the only way of healing the wounds in the country. Mazi Nnabuike said the 2023 elections divided the country more than ever and that it was incumbent upon the Tinubu administration to seek ways of restoring unity.

“We don’t expect a divisive government from the incoming president. He should be a true national leader and it should reflect in his actions and words as that is the only way the country can truly move forward,” Mazi Okwu added.