By Asiwaju Bola Tinubu
On Saturday February 23 the Presidential Election was held. It was a fair and honest exercise that permitted the full expression of the sovereign will of the Nigerian people. In a decisive manner, the electorate have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to serve a second term. You the Nigerian people have given him a clear, indisputable mandate to lead us for another four years.
In re-electing President Buhari, you have shown that you believe Nigeria should move forward to its better future instead of returning to the mistaken ways of our past. You have chosen victory over defeat, hope over despair, prosperity over poverty. You have elected the path toward a greater Nigerian instead of that toward our lesser selves.
For this collective act of courage and enlightened optimism, we can do nothing but express our most profound gratitude and thanks to the millions of APC members and to all Nigerians for their patience, and their commitment to our democratic electoral process.
This election represents a historic step forward. When history is being made, often its authors do not realize the larger dimensions and consequences of their actions because they tend to be somewhat blinded by the press of daily events. Yet, I believe as the years unfold and the history of Nigeria is later written, future generations will look fondly on this moment as the time when Nigerians, in strong and clear accord, affirmed their belief in our nation’s greatness and in the path that President Buhari and the APC have taken to reach that greatness.
With this election, Nigeria signals to the world our unalloyed embrace of democracy and our unflinching determination to perfect this democracy. While this election was free and fair, we also must acknowledge the isolated incidents of violence. Nigerians were killed and injured during what otherwise was an exemplary democratic procession. Such things should never happen and do us no good.
We must dedicate ourselves to the principle that elections are meant to better all of our lives and thus there is no reason why elections should result in the impairment of even a single life. Let us work even harder to ensure that the March governorship and state assembly elections be devoid of such unfortunate incidents.
No doubt Nigeria has its challenges, but it stands undaunted as a nation. Nigeria is stronger today under the leadership of President Buhari who continues to lay the critical reforms that constitute the foundation for durable, broadly-shared economic development.
President Buhari has marked progress against the terror of Boko Haram. In his second term, he will continue to install peace where there is unrest and violence and he will not cease in this task until Boko Haram and its evil brethren are no more.
He will continue to battle corruption head on. Given the president’s fortitude and determination, I know corruption will lose this battle and receded from being a major factor in our public arena.
This current leadership owes our youth and all Nigerians to build a political culture of civility, tolerance and equality.
The tasks before us are hard. We dare not underestimate the challenges that await, but the rewards that beckon are profound. The people of Nigeria are industrious and brave. The ground beneath us is fecund and it is ours. Our plans are visionary and bold. Our goals are just. And the president you have re-elected is honest and true.
The confidence I have in this positive confluence of leadership, people, resources and ideas is an unwavering but also a glad and comforting thing. If we put ourselves to it, there is nothing that another nation has done for itself that we cannot achieve for ourselves.
There is no aspect of national greatness and achievement that lies beyond our reach. Thus, we should look forward to the next four years with hearts filled with hope and hands ready to work.
Only God can create the Promised Land. Yet, with God’s help, we endeavour to make of Nigeria a land of greater promise and prosperity for all her children.
With President Buhari at the helm for four more years, I know we can achieve this. Congratulations to President Buhari on your re-election.
Congratulations to the APC for the fine showing across all the February 23 elections. More importantly, congratulations to the Nigerian people for the wisdom and courage shown in deciding that the best of Nigeria still resides in our future and that President Buhari is the man you best trust to lead us into that future. Posterity shall reward you for what you established on Election Day.
Today the sun shines brighter on Nigeria. If we work hard, tomorrow we shall be able to say the same thing.
