From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
Anambra State Governor Prof Chukwuma Soludo has congratulated Governor-elect Bola Tinubu who was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The outcome of that controversial presidential poll is currently being contested at the court by the other two leading candidates – Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Soludo, in a statement, congratulated Tinubu and also commended INEC “for the successful completion of the general elections.” He also commended “the security agencies and the citizens” for taking part in the polls.
“Let me also congratulate the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his election. We congratulate your closest opponents for their courageous and impressive outing. Nigeria needs healing and restructuring, and the fundamental challenges of insecurity and the economy remain humongous.
“We pledge to collaborate and partner with you and the Federal Government for the development of Anambra State and Nigeria. This is the only country that we call ours and we must make it work”, he said.
The Anambra governor also appealed to Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu if President Muhammadu Buhari is unable to release him before leaving office in May this year.
“One critical issue that we must draw your urgent attention to is the issue of systemic insecurity in the South East. While our efforts with the security agencies are yielding significant results, we believe that sustainable peace and security will be enhanced through wider non-kinetic engagements with all critical stakeholders.
“In this regard, may I repeat my previous calls and hereby request our President-Elect to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu immediately after swearing-in (that is, if he is not released before then).
“We need him around the table as an important stakeholder in discussions about healing and sustainable peace in the South East,” Soludo appealed.
The governor appealed to the National and state Assemblies members-elect in the state to work with him upon assumption of office for the good of Ndi Anambra.
“We have made modest gains by winning seats at the Senate, House of Representatives and state Assemblies across the country. As we reform and strengthen our party, we will continue to present our social-progressive agenda as the roadmap for the country.
“As true believers in the potentials of Nigeria, our party will continue to network and collaborate with all like-minded Nigerians and groups to advance the greatness of this country”, he said.
Regardless of his appeals to them to work with him, Soludo said that he might be dragging some of them who won on the platforms of other political parties to court to reclaim their mandates for APGA.
“So far, winners have been declared, and those who are dissatisfied with the results have their rights to pursue their grievances through the due process of the law.
“My own political party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, might challenge several of the results in pursuit of justice. While we will take all necessary legal steps to recover the seats we believe that APGA won especially in Anambra State but were mistakenly called for other parties, we also know that several of the announced “winners” from other parties are “APGA-nized” and are patriotic citizens of the state,” the governor said.
