A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chris Adighije, has called on the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to concede defeat and congratulate the nation’s president-elect, Bola Tinubu.

Mr Adighije, also the pro-chancellor and chairman of the governing council of the Federal University, Lokoja, gave the advice in a statement on Sunday.

He said Mr Obi should show sportsmanship by calling the declared winner of the election to congratulate him.

According to him, what Mr Obi needs now to endear himself more in the hearts of the people of Nigeria is an act that will not snowball into the destruction of lives and property.

Mr Adighije, who chairs the APC stakeholders in Abia, said the Labour Party presidential candidate should consider his region, the South-East, and Nigeria in taking any decision.

He expressed concern that Mr Obi’s action would go a long way to determine where the South-East would be in the political equation of Nigeria.

Mr Adighije commended Mr Obi for positioning the Igbos strongly in the political discourse in the country, saying, “l want to congratulate the leader of my party, the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. l also will use this opportunity to congratulate Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, for his forthrightness and resilience in the election.”

The APC chieftain added, “I will appeal that he congratulates the winner of the presidential poll as l believe sincerely that such a good gesture would endear him more to the hearts of the Obidient Movement and Nigeria at large.”

According to Mr Adighije, Mr Obi should know that any decision “he takes in this circumstance has a high propensity to affect Nigerians, especially the South-Easterners positively or negatively.” 

(NAN)