President Muhammadu Buhari, in the course of the week, hosted the winner of the 2023 presidential election, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, warning that votes and those that cast them should not be taken for granted.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu had on Wednesday morning declared Tinubu as winner of Feb. 25 presidential election with 8,794,726 votes.

Mr Tinubu defeated his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who secured 6,101,533 votes of the 24,965,218 total votes cast.

Reacting to the results announced by the INEC Chairman, Mr Buhari, at his country home, Daura, Katsina State, said:

“I congratulate His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his victory. Elected by the people, he is the best person for the job. I shall now work with him and his team to ensure an orderly handover of power.

“The election was Africa’s largest democratic exercise. In a region that has undergone backsliding and military coups in recent years, this election demonstrates democracy’s continued relevance and capability to deliver for the people it serves.

“Within Nigeria, the results reveal democracy’s ripening in our country. Never has the electoral map shifted so drastically in one cycle.

“In the presidential elections, states in all regions across the nation changed colour.

”Some amongst you may have noticed my home state amongst them. The winning candidate did not carry his own home state either. That happened during a competitive election.

”Votes and those that cast them cannot be taken for granted. Each must be earned. Competition is good for our democracy.

”There is no doubt the people’s decision has been rendered in the results we look at today.”

(NAN)