Ready for a virile, constructive opposition from PDP, others
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday applauded President Goodluck Jonathan for the rare sportsmanship he exhibited by conceding defeat and congratulating its candidate, Major-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), even before INEC formally declared him as the winner.
In a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party expressed readiness to accommodate opposing views and constructive criticisms from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other political parties in the polity.
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.
While congratulating Buhari on his historic victory in Saturday’s Presidential election, the party thanked Nigerians for voting massively for the party to bring in a new dawn after a long and dark night.
The party said 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.
“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 democratisation 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 organisations 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.
