By Damilare Adeleye
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Saturday’s governorship election Edo State, on his victory at the polls.
The President said the victory testifies to the people’s support for the ruling party, “its progressive ideals and economic reengineering programme”.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
He said the President commended INEC for conducting a free and fair election while asking those that are aggrieved to seek legal redress.
“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.”
The President urged Senator Okpebholo not to gloat over his victory but to see it as a challenging call to service and 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.
He also commended the people of Edo 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.