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The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has joined other groups and individuals calling on the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to shelve his plan of going to court to challenge the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in last Saturday’s election.
This is just as they congratulated Buhari and charged him to run an inclusive government.
The ACF told Atiku that, conceding defeat and congratulating President Muhammadu Buhari would be in the overall interest of Nigeria and place him among global democrats.
In a congratulatory message signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim Biu, ACF said, that “the successful conclusion of this election despite some of the ugly incidences witnessed in some parts of country in terms of ballot box snatching, killings, security challenges and other logistic problems, Nigerians have clearly demonstrated their resolve to move forward and consolidate the gains of multiparty democracy.”
It added: “Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), therefore, congratulates all Nigerians for their resilience, commitment and courage in exercising their civic responsibility amid challenges that are natural concomitant of such tasks and responsibilities.
“ACF equally congratulates President Muhammadu Buhari on his re-election as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the just concluded 2019 Presidential election. Of equal importance, the ACF salutes the courage of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for putting up a gallantry fight with an impressive performance in the presidential elections.
“The forum calls on Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of PDP as a committed democrat, who cherishes peaceful democratic transition to accept the will of the people, concede defeat and congratulate President Buhari on his well deserved victory at the just concluded elections, especially as there are credible evidence that the elections have been generally peaceful, free and fair.
“Such concession on the part of the main challenger would be in the overall interest of Nigeria and place him among global democrats.
“ACF equally urges other contestants to be magnanimous in accepting defeat and congratulate their opponents.”
In a similar development, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked all those who lost in the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections to put the interest of the nation first and accept defeat in good fate in respect to the peace accord they singed.
NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said in a statement in Abuja that they should bear in mind that no candidate’s victory or loss is worth the blood of any Nigerian or their property.
The statement reads: “The Nigeria Labour Congress wishes to congratulate Muhammadu Buhari on his re-election as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, being the second person to get re-elected since the return to civilian rule twenty years ago.
“We also wish to congratulate other candidates for their participation and urge them to accept the outcome of the election, and adherence to the peace accord they had signed before the election.
“The electioneering campaign although bitterly fought and the election itself keenly contested, we urge the President-elect and any aggrieved party to put first the interest of the nation. We reiterate that no candidate’s victory or loss is worth the life or property of anyone.
“Mr President won in 2015 on his campaign promise to fight corruption, restore security and grow the economy. From his re-election, this may have boded well with the greater majority of the people who voted for him.
“Nonetheless, his re-election avails him a great opportunity to reflect on and re-assess his vision, strategy and implementation as well as enables him to complete pending projects and initiate new ones where feasible.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress on its part will work with the social partners, government and organised private sector to ensure Nigerians, especially, workers to get dividends of democracy as and when due. Worker-pensioner-issues, especially salaries, pensions and welfare will continue to dominate our engagement with government.
“We commend INEC for organising the elections in spite of the initial glitches. It should speedily correct the lapses identified so far in order for it to conduct more credible elections in the future.
“Our most profound commendation goes to the millions of Nigerians who defied all odds to perform their civic duty. Similarly, our deep condolences go to the families of those who lost their lives. We demand that the culprits be brought to book in accordance with our laws.”