Tinubu Receives Certificate of Return, Urges Nigerians to Join Hands with Him to Pull Nation Through

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

President elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has called on those that didn’t support his candidature to join hands with him in a common endeavor to pull the nation through.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the early hours of Wednesday declared Tinubu the winner of the presidential election.

The former Lagos state governor polled a total votes of 8,794,726 to defeat his closest rival and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar who scored 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of Labour party who polled 6,101,533 votes.

The presidential candidate of New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso came a distant fourth with the total votes of 1,496,687 votes.

Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja after he was presented with the the Certificate of Return by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, he said the certificate of return symbolized the country’s collective democratic attainment and even loftier aspirations.

He said it also represents the impending transfer of a most sacred duty and trust from one person to another.

Tinubu stated: “As I hold this certificate, this moment is one of celebration and gladness for us.
The road has been long. Yet, we walked it. The battle has been hard fought. Yet, we won it.

“But more importantly, I realize that I am just a servant of a larger purpose. You see, this is more than a document confirming the positive outcome of an election.

“At its most sublime, this certificate also symbolizes that each of you has the ability to achieve what others believe is impossible for you to achieve.”

Tinubu noted that while he stood before Nigerians as the president elect, he was no different than anyone, saying if he could do this, others can do it and do it better.

According to him, Our destiny as a people and nation depends on our ability to shed the artificial restrictions of bias and prejudice so that we live fully unto our democratic creed that no one is innately superior or entitled to greater rights and opportunities than any other Nigerian.

The president elect stressed that very soon, the nation would witness a young person standing before the nation holding this great symbol of democracy and national leadership.