NLC, Abe Hail Buhari’s Victory in Presidential Election

NLC, Abe Hail Buhari’s Victory in Presidential Election
  • Rivers senator wants electoral offenders punished

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Senator representing Rivers South-East senatorial district in the National Assembly, Magnus Ngei Abe, have congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in last Saturday’s presidential election.

The senator has also called on the federal government to punish all those found guilty of various electoral offences across the country, no matter how highly placed.

In a statement signed by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, the union noted that President Buhari was the second person to get re-elected since the return to civilian rule 20 years ago.

The NLC also congratulated other candidates for their participation and urged them to accept the outcome of the election, and adherence to the peace accord they had signed before the election.

“The electioneering campaign although bitterly fought and the election itself keenly contested, we urge the President-elect and any aggrieved party to put first the interest of the nation. We reiterate that no candidate’s victory or loss is worth the life or property of anyone. Mr. President won in 2015 on his campaign promise to fight corruption, restore security and grow the economy.

Nonetheless, his re-election avails him a great opportunity to reflect on and re-assess this vision, strategy and implementation as well as enables him to complete pending projects and initiate new ones where feasible,” Wabba explained.

The union pledged to work with the social partners, government and organised private sector to ensure Nigerians, especially, workers get dividends of democracy as when due.

“Worker-pensioner-issues, especially salaries, pensions and welfare will continue to dominate our engagement with government. We commend INEC for organising the elections in spite of the initial glitches. It should speedily correct the lapses identified so far in order for it to conduct more credible elections in the future,” the statement said.

The union also commended millions of Nigerians who defied all odds to perform their civic duty.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Parry Saroh Benson in Port Harcourt, Abe on his part, congratulated not only the President but all Nigerians who took part in the making of history.

He called on the government to punish all those found guilty of various electoral offences across the country, no matter how highly placed.

Abe also condemned the violence that took place in different areas in Rivers State and some parts of the country, saying the elections were far from being perfect but it has satisfied the yearnings and aspirations of the majority of Nigerians.

Abe said, “although the elections were in no way perfect, but nobody can dispute the fact that it has answered the yearnings of the average majority of Nigerians, it is a clear expression of the wish of the Nigerian people for continuity and progress”.

“We, therefore, call on the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and members of the main opposition party to accept the verdict of the Nigerian people and extend their hand of fellowship to the President-elect so that we can work together and put the bitterness, rancour, and acrimony of the elections behind us and move the nation forward”, he added.

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