In the run-up to the inauguration of President-elect, Bola Tinubu on May 29, Presidential Transition Council (PTC) has continued to beg Nigerians to support the incoming president. 

 Headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, the 22-man transition council was put in place and “vested with the responsibility of facilitating and managing the 2023 Presidential Transition Programme to ensure seamless transition of power to the incoming government.” 

 In a plea to Nigerians, the PTC has continually sent out text messages to citizens, urging them to unite and rally round the incoming administration of Mr Tinubu. 

 “Presidential Transition Council (PTC) – Let’s maintain Unity as one people and one nation. Let’s support the new administration and build a Nigeria that we can all be proud of,” the text message reads.

  PTC’s text message to citizens has trended on social media with many sharing a screenshot of the messages they received from the council.  

Before now, Datti Baba-Ahmed, Labour Party vice presidential candidate in the February 25th presidential election charged President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief Justice of Nigeria not to swear Mr Tinubu in. Catholic Bishop of Abuja Archdiocese, Cardinal John Oniayekan, shared the same view, which the All Progressives Congress has termed treasonable and unconstitutional.  

On March 1, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Mr Tinubu winner of the February 25th presidential election despite protests from opposition parties, who called for the cancellation of the election due to INEC’S failure to upload results on its server in real-time. 

  Mr Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, winning 12 of 36 states of Nigeria. Mr Abubakar polled 6,984,520 votes to come second, while Peter Obi of the Labour Party, came third, polling 6,101,533 votes.   

However, top oppositions, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party have rejected Mr Tinubu’s victory, challenging it before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).   

The former Lagos governor had dismissed the call by the opposition parties for the cancellation of the election based on violence and INEC’s failure to upload results, calling it immaterial while suing for peace among citizens.  

 Mr Tinubu, 71, will on  May 29 succeed President Muhammadu Buhari whose regime of two terms, eight years, comes to an end same day.