- Asks Ohanaeze to congratulate president
Oghenevede Ohwovoriole in Abuja
A former Governor of Abia State and senator-elect, Orji Uzor Kalu, has called on Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliations, to accept the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in last week’s presidential election, and also urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, to congratulate the president for his victory.
In a statement issued yesterday, Kalu said since the election has been won, Nigerians should come together to support President Buhari in his second term.
According to him, “I call on all Nigerians to accept the outcome of the elections as announced by INEC as a reflection of the will of the people. In particular, I urge the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and all other well-meaning Igbo leaders to congratulate President Buhari on his re-election for a second term.”
He said the election was tough and keenly contested by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but that Nigerians should take a cue from what happened in the United States in 2016 when President Donald Trump and former Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton contested for the presidency.
According to him, after the result was declared, Clinton congratulated Trump.
He said: “The election was tough and hotly contested by the two main political parties in Nigeria, the PDP and the APC. In 2016, President Donald Trump and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton ran a very tough, divisive and even nasty campaign but Clinton still congratulated President Trump immediately after the election and the Democrats moved on and started preparing for the next election.
“If our democracy must grow, we must emulate the very positive sides of the United States democratic system, where we borrowed our presidential system.”
He said the US, which fought a war with Vietnam, is working together today.
“Let me also add that the historic second summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim of North Korea is taking place today (February 27, 2019) in Vietnam, a Country with which the United States fought a fratricidal war in the 1970s but have become great friends and collaborators, giving rise to the spectacular developmental strides in Vietnam today.”
The senator-elect urged Nigerians to have faith in democracy and to trust President Buhari who had promised that his new administration starting from May 29, 2019 would work harder for a better Nigeria.
Quoting Buhari as saying, “the new administration will
