Buhari, Osinbajo receive Certificates of Return

African leaders congratulate Buhari

 
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  has presented a Certificate of Return to President Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo  winner of the Feb. 23 Presidential election.
Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu the Returning officer of the election presented the certificate.
Yakubu first invited the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who in turn invited the President-Elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to sign and collect the Certificate of Return.
INEC had earlier  yesterday morning, declared President Buhari, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the 2019 presidential election.
Buhari  in his speech assured Nigerians that they would soon  see “a country moving to the `Next Level’ as his administration consolidates on its achievements”.
He also pledged to continue to engage all parties as his administration would be operating an open government for the general progress of the country. He, however, vowed to continue the fight against corruption, saying accumulation of public wealth would not be tolerated.
The president, who thanked God for the electoral victory, also reiterated his call on all APC supporters not to gloat or humiliate the opposition, saying “victory is enough reward for your efforts”.?
Dignitaries at the event include  APC State Governors, Cabinet Ministers, Security Chiefs, Heads of Para-Military agencies, Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi.
Others were the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Rufa’I, presidential aides and political appointees as well as the chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.
The National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and family members of both the President and the Vice-President also witnessed the event.
Meanwhile, President Buhari has received congratulatory messages from three African presidents for his re-election. Among them are Nana Koffi-Addo of Ghana, Mahamadou  Issoufou of  Niger and Macky Sall of Senegal over.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina made this known in a statement he released yesterday.
In the statement, Adesina disclosed that the presidents from the West African sub-region congratulated the president, wishing him greater exploits after he was declared a winner.
“The Presidents felicitated with President Buhari, saying his re-election was a demonstration of the confidence Nigerians had in him and wishing him greater exploits.”
President Buhari was declared the winner as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu pulling 15, 191, 847 votes while Atiku Abubakar, a former Nigerian vice president, secured 11, 262, 978 votes.