In the hours following the revelation of the outcome contested by the opposition, Nigeria’s outgoing president Muhammadu Buhari praised the victory of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of his party. He declared that “the people have spoken.”
In a tweet posted on his Twitter page, Nigeria’s outgoing president said that “His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the best candidate for the position and I congratulate him on his victory. To guarantee a seamless transfer of power, I shall now cooperate with him and his team “.
As the opposition protests the election and demands its annulment, accusing the ruling party of “massive” fraud, he continued, “There is no doubt that the people’s decision has been rendered in the results we are seeing today.”
At the helm of the most populous nation in Africa, Nigeria’s outgoing president, 80, who must resign after serving two terms (per the Constitution), urged candidates who “feel the need to contest this election (…) to go to court and not to the street.”
He also dismissed criticism of the National Electoral Commission (CINE)’s lack of independence from the government, saying: “Don’t undermine INEC credibility. We go forward together. The people have spoken.” At the same time, He recognized shortcomings in the election process, especially in the electronic transmission of results, which was being tested for the first time at the national level.