Election is not war, Buhari says after receiving INEC certificate of return

“Election is not war, and should never be seen as a do or die affair,” President Muhammadu Buhari said on Wednesday.

Mr Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated Mr Abubakar of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s presidential election.

The president scored 15,191,847, while Mr Abubakar polled 11,262,978.

Mr Buhari was declared winner early on Wednesday by the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mahmood Yakubu.

But Mr Abubakar and his party rejected the outcome of the election and said they will seek legal redress.

“Election is not war, and should never be seen as a do or die affair. I pray that we all accept this democratic approach to elections, however contentious,” he said.

The president said now that the elections are over, and a winner declared, “we must all see it as a victory for Nigeria, our dear country”.

“That was why I encouraged my teeming supporters, in a speech I read earlier today, not to gloat. Our God-given victory is enough cause for joy, without deriding those who were in the opposition.  All Nigerians, going forward, must stand in brotherhood, for a bright and fulfilling future.

“ I, therefore, want to assure that we will continue to engage all parties that have the best interest of Nigerians at heart,” he said.

– Premium Times