Former Governor of Abia State and the Senator-elect for Abia North Senatorial District, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu said on Wednesday that those who lost the just concluded elections should swallow their bitterness and congratulate winners.
Kalu, in a statement he made available in Abuja, said that the culture of the concession of defeat must be imbibed if democracy must grow in the country.
The Senator-elect also asked leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory adding that the president has appeared conciliatory in his acceptance speech.
He asked Nigerians to ensure they act in the interest of the country at all times adding that no one should lose hope of the future.
The statement read: “With the conclusion and announcement of the results of the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC], Nigerians of all shades of opinions, irrespective of political, tribal or religious divides must now place the interest of the Country above every other interest.
“Expectedly, President Muhamadu Buhari was re-elected as the President and Commander in Chief of Nigeria for the second term of four years. I congratulate the President for emerging victorious in the election and I also thank the People of Abia North Senatorial district for finding me worthy of representing them in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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“I call on all Nigerians to accept the outcome of the elections as announced by INEC as a reflection of the will of the People. In particular, I urge the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo and all other well-meaning Igbo leaders to congratulate President Buhari on his re-election for a second term. In his acceptance speech, the President said: “the new Administration will intensify its effort in Security, Restructuring the economy and Fighting Corruption. We have laid down the foundation and we are committed to seeing matters to the end. We will strive to strengthen our unity and inclusiveness so that no section or group will feel left behind or left out”.
“I urge you to please trust the President and continue to have faith in our democracy and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The election was tough and hotly contested by the two main political parties in Nigeria, The PDP and the APC. In 2016, President Donald Trump and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton ran a very tough, divisive and even nasty campaign but Clinton still congratulated President Trump immediately after the election and the Democrats moved on and started preparing for the next election. If our democracy must grow, we must emulate the very positive sides of the United States democratic system, from whence we borrowed our presidential system.
” Let me also add that the historic second summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim of North Korea, is taking place today [27th February 2019] in Vietnam, a Country with which the United States fought a fratricidal war in the seventies but have become great friends and collaborators, giving rise to the spectacular developmental strides in Vietnam today.
“I urge all Nigerians, especially my Igbo People to reflect very carefully on this and note that there can be no permanent friends or permanent enemies in politics, but permanent interests. The bones shall certainly rise again. May God bless you all and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
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