President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the victors in the November 11 governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states to prioritise the common good of the people over partisan interests in the spirit of fostering a harmonious and inclusive political landscape in their states.
While congratulating Governors Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, and Usman Ododo of Kogi State on their victory, the president, in a statement by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, said the electorate’s participation in the process affirmed the resilience of democratic institutions and the power of the people in shaping the nation’s political landscape.
The president, who said the outcome of the elections reflected the wishes of the people, emphasised that democracy thrived when voters rewarded competence, transparency and good governance.
The president, however, stressed the need for a sustained commitment to all efforts aimed at further sanitising the electoral system and enhancing the credibility of future elections.
In his own congratulatory message, former President Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement on Monday by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, said the victory recorded by APC candidates in Kogi and Imo re-affirmed the confidence of the people of the states in the party.
Reiterating Buhari’s statement, the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said, “What gladdens me about the victory of the APC in both Kogi and Imo stated is that Nigerians are appreciative of good governance and they want continuity in peace and sustainable growth in their states.”
On his part, the Chairman of the APC National Campaign Council for Kogi Governorship Election and governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, described the party’s victory in Kogi as “resounding” and an affirmation of the ruling party’s dominance in the state.
Also congratulating the duo of Uzodimma and Ododo, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, described their victories as a testament to the strength of the nation’s democracy and the power of the people to make their voices heard.
Barau, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, added that the victories were an expression of the confidence of the people of the two states in the programmes and policies of the APC.