The All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulated Major-General Muhammadu Buhari for his historic victory in Saturday’s presidential election, while thanking Nigerians for voting massively for the party to bring in a new dawn after a long, dark night.
In a statement in Abuja on Thursday by its National Publicity
Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Gen. Buhari’s victory will make Nigeria work again, rekindle hope and bring succour to the long suffering people of the country.
”Nigerians have used their votes to bring change. We hear their message loud and clear: They want a government that works, and will not hesitate to use the same votes to kick out any government that fails to deliver,” it said.
APC also commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the rare sportsmanship he exhibited by conceding defeat and congratulating Gen. Buhari, even before INEC formally declared him as the winner.
The party said by that singular act, which went a long way in dousing
post-election tension, the President has snatched victory from the
jaws of defeat, written his name in gold in the annals of Nigeria’s
history and catapulted himself to a statesman.
APC said it is time for all Nigerians, irrespective of their political
leaning, to put the acrimonious electioneering campaign behind them
and to forge a united front to tackle the enormous challenges facing
the nation.
”The APC-led Federal Government will work for all Nigerians, whether
or not they voted for us in the elections, or did not even vote at
all,” the party assured. ”Our party will not discriminate against
any Nigerian on the basis of religion, region, ethnicity or gender. We
are all God’s own people.”
APC said it will also appreciate a virile opposition, because it is
indispensable in any democracy that is worthy of that nomenclature.
”Having been in opposition ourselves, we know what it means to keep
the government of the day on its toes with very robust and
constructive criticism, and we expect no less from those who have
swapped places with us,” the party said.
It commended the media for staying true to its constitutional watchdog
role, saying without the support of this Fourth Estate of the Realm,
Nigeria may neither have enjoyed democracy nor sustained it.
APC thanked ECOWAS, the African Union, the EU, the UN and the entire
international community for their support for the country’s
democratization process, describing as invaluable their role in the
success of the ongoing political transition.
”Equally worthy of our gratitude is the Civil Society. Working
relentlessly under the umbrella Situation Room, civil society
organizations played an unprecedented and very important role before,
during and after the Presidential/National Assembly elections. We, and
indeed all Nigerians, owe them a debt of gratitude for the success of
the elections,” the party said.
”Finally, and most importantly, we want to give glory to God for His
divine intervention that has always pulled our country back from the
brink, even at times when hope was in short supply and the night
seemed so dark and unending,” APC said.
