Following the Supreme Court Judgement on Thursday that affirmed the election of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president, the National Chairman of Action Democratic Party, Engr. Sani Yabagi has congratulated the president
for being given the mantle of leadership to lead Nigeria to the promised land.
The ADP Chairman also recognized the role played by the former Vice President and People's Democratic party presidential candidate in the February 25th general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr. Peter Obi of Labour Party for their doggedness in ensuring that democracy survives.
Addressing journalists at the conclusion of the NEC meeting of the party held at the headquarters in abuja, Enr. Yabagi said in judgement there was no winner and no vanguished, saying 'it was about democracy, it's about upholding constitutional democracy as practiced here, and that's why our party thought is wise to congratulate Nigerians. "
"Our party will first of all will want congratulate Nigerians on conclusion of the general election. We congratulate Nigerians because we believe democracy triumphed.
"Most especially the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, and his team for haven delivered the election from the begining to the end of the process, that had produced governments at national and state levels.
"I also want to congratulate the winners of this process, those who participated in the process, they are all winners because they contributed to the process.
" I want to use this opportunity to congratulate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for being given the mantle of leadership to lead this country to the promised land.
"The dreams of our forefathers today are being further reaffirmed by the judgment of the Supreme court which had brought a closure to the an endless battle. We also want to recognize the fact that Nigerians in their numbers trooped out and participated in the process. Some disappointments that were recorded in the process can be attributed to the learning process.
"We have to understand that the Electoral Act which was being tested for the first time as a result of the innovations threw up a lot of challenges not only to us, political parties and the electorate but also to the umpire. I want to believe that the umpire must have learned their lessons, and they will make us proud in the forthcoming off season governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states.
"The NEC of ADP recognized the fact that the elections were full of drawbacks in the sense that money was used and in mist cases the law was sacuvented by people who were supposed to keep it to ensure a smooth process.
"In some places were our candidates win elections, the victory was taken away from us, in some cases we went up to the Court of Appeal with the mist glaring evidence, but victory was still denied us.
" That also happened other political parties. I want to appeal to the conscience of some of the parties, to be more democratic to allow the process to become a source of pride for Nigeria. we will like to congratulate the Press, for being very passionate and above board because in most cases nothing was left out in your reporting, regardless of who is involved. ADP wants to thank you for being on the side of democracy.
'Part of the resolution of our party is that, the governors, should be more democratic, understand that every party has a right to be given the opportunity to contribute to the administration of this country. The manner in which the governors behaved in the last election left so much to be desired. ADP members tried and did everything possible in terms of campaigning, mobilization of resources on logistics but at the end of the day it appeared might was right. And that's not what democracy represents.
"Our party believes that the future will be very bright and ready to sustain our contribution to democracy. Our party is still hopeful that the judgments pending in Courts of Appeal will favour us. We are ready as Democrats to give this country the best administration that it deserves."