Governor Nasiru Idris has extended its hand of fellowship to opposition parties, particularly the PDP, stressing the need for mutual understanding and unity.

Information commissioner Yakubu Ahmed-BK disclosed this in a statement on Monday. He appealed to the PDP and all other political parties that participated and lost in the governorship election of March 2023 to work with Mr Idris to develop Kebbi.

“The state government is pleased to announce that the victory recorded by Governor Idris at the election petition tribunal on Thursday is a triumph for democracy, for the rule of law and the resilience of our shared values of freedom and collective sense of honour and dignity.

“As we all know, the four-month-old litigation filed by the PDP challenging the election of Gov. Idris as Governor of Kebbi came to an end with victory, as widely expected, tilting to the side of the APC,” said the statement.

The statement said after the rigorous litigation, the rule of law prevailed, signposting a victory for democracy, the people of Kebbi and the principles that guide the nation’s electoral process.

According to the statement, the victory underscores the resilience of democratic institutions and the commitment of the people of Kebbi to upholding the rule of law.

It affirmed that the Kebbi government had acknowledged the valuable time and energy expended during the legal process and commended all parties involved for their commitment to a fair and transparent resolution.

“In the spirit of unity and the belief in the greater good for Kebbi, the state government wishes to extend an olive branch to the PDP and its governorship candidate and to encourage them to see this process and the way it has come to its nadir as conclusive and as a sign that the people have again spoken as encapsulated by the judgement of the tribunal,” the statement explained.

It pointed out that despite the differences in political ideologies and the tension the “whole process must have seemingly and understandably generated, the Kebbi government maintains that there are neither victor nor vanquished in this electoral contest.”

“We are all winners because, in the end, we are a Kebbi state that desires all hands to be on deck to bring it out of the shackles of underdevelopment. It is now time to put aside partisanship and join hands for the collective progress of our great state,” said the statement.

(NAN)