An elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko YakasaI, has asked the presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) to accept the aftermath of the just-concluded election and instantly send a congratulatory messages to the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Yakasai also advised the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to run an all- inclusive government by giving all zone of the country a sense of belonging.
Alhaji Yakasai also called for there-introduction of the strategy of National Development Plan, which he said is globally accepted as a panacea for nation building.
Addressing a press conference Wednesday in Abuja, the 98-year-old Kano-born politician said events in Nigeria leading to the just-conducted general elections were fairly calmer and in peaceful atmosphere devoid of rancour and discord.
He said “My call is to the winner, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I’m sending my congratulations to you for this well justified triumph and I urge you to run an all-inclusive Government that will give every Nigerian from all zone of the country a sense of belonging. “
This election has shown democracy is evolving and consolidating in Nigeria and I urge the President-elect tore-introduce the strategy of National Development Plan which is globally accepted as a panacea for Nation building.
He continued I must congratulate Nigerians on the peaceful election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). I also commend the federal government for giving INEC all the necessary support without which this success wouldn’t have been possible.
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To the judge, I felicitate INEC for the awful elections and their resolve to ensure that the will of the majority of the people is always appreciated and upheld. I charge them to do further during the forthcoming Gubernatorial and state assemblies elections.
To those who contested and lost, I urge you all in the spirit of democratic tenents and our mational interest to embrace the aftermath and compliment the winner. As in every election, there has to be a winner and a loser.
Responding to comments made by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo regarding the conduct of the election, the elder statesman expressed disappointment, saying he didn’t hope such a call from the calibre of the former President.
I listened to Obasanjo’s call and I read it in the newspaper. My response is that I was very disappointed, I didn’t expect it from a man of his class, former military ruler converted into elected President of Nigeria. You don’t build democracy overnight, there’s process all over the world that’s evolving. For anybody to hope democracy to nurture and develop in a period of many years it’s a mere day- dreamer.
I’ll say that I’m dissatisfied by Obasanjo’s sudden appeal, it came to him as an afterthought. It wasn’t a well-set statement, but I’m glad that people didn’t listen to him and the election has been conducted peacefully All over the country and the aftermath has been regarded by Nigerians and the international community.
Speaking on the personality of the President-elect, Alhaji Yakasai said“ We’re lucky that for the first time in our history, A President is elected who has what it takes to be President. As you know, Asiwaju Tinubu was a Senator and he led Lagos state for eight years as a governor. As a governor he has performed serviceably well.
