A group, under the aegis of Yoruba Global Council (YGC), has congratulated the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on his emergence as the winner of the newly contested presidential election saying that his electoral triumph was no doubt a manifestation of his sheer diligence, top-notch stratagem, indefatigable focus and dogged commitment to reconstruct the chequered history and narrative of the most populous Black nation on planet earth.
YGC is a foremost and prestigious Yoruba Diaspora-based socio-cultural organization established to advance the course and interest of the Yoruba nation through the promotion of unity, mutual trust, trade liberalization, co-existence and interactions with other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria and the Diaspora.
The group said this on Thursday in a congratulatory statement by its spokesperson and general secretary, Professor Lere Amusan and Prince Segun Akanni, respectively, expressing confidence in the ability and capability of the president-elect to steer the ship of the country, just as it urged him and the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, to unite all the ethnic groups in the country.
YGC, while noting that the incoming administration must be impartial when allocating resources and appointments, in particular, tasked it to restructure the country, develop the home economy, leverage foreign direct investment (FDI), and tackle head-on the current spate of national insecurity.
This was just as the Yoruba group urged the president-elect to constitute a government of national cohesion and unity by incorporating different critical segments of the country in his administration, saying that an all-inclusive government “will be applauded and appreciated across the board especially now to douse the tensions associated with ethnic rivalry and religious intolerance or deliberate political marginalization of some sections of the federation.”
“However, the present contexts in the super-structure of the Nigerian milieu call for urgent and pragmatic interventions. As you are aware, the country needs unity and security, as recent developments and trends have depicted that certain ethnic nationalities are seriously agitating for being sequestered from the union.
These age-long agitations have been exacerbated by deliberate alienation, marginalization and political ostracization of the agitated groups by the power-that-be at the centre across board. Hence, discontent, mutual suspicion and disillusionment have become the order of the day- no thanks to the questionable parameters deployed in allocating national resources among states and critical stakeholders of the federation.
“To this end, we urge you as the next President to accord premium attention to the all-important issue of restructuring the federation along the lines of just and fair allocation of national resources, lack of lopsidedness in federal appointments, entrenchment of rule of law, independent of the judiciary, return autonomy to the 774 local government areas (as the third-tier of government and the nearest to the masses) and providing equal opportunity to all and sundry irrespective of sex, age, religion, ethnic affiliation or political leaning.
“Developing the home economy and leveraging foreign direct investment (FDI) are critical to our national economic revival and renaissance. But this will only remain a mirage if the current spate of national insecurity is not tackled head-on. We, therefore, urge you to expedite quick actions and programmes in line with your campaign slogan of ‘Renewed Hope’ to arrest the ugly phenomena of insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity that have compelled the international community to label our dear country as ‘unsafe haven,’” the group stated.
“Moving forward, Mr. President-elect, we implore you to constitute a national cohesion and unity government by incorporating different critical segments of the country in your administration. An all-inclusive government will be applauded and appreciated across board especially now to douse the tensions associated with ethnic rivalry and religious intolerance or deliberate political marginalization of some sections of the federation.
“The 2023 presidential election may have been contested, lost and won, the frills, thrills and pains that typified the process will linger for some time. Many are aggrieved for losing, just as many call for outright cancellation of the presidential poll, while some raise fictitious alarm over alleged rigging.
“YGC, like the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has said, advises all aggrieved political parties and their candidates to head for the court and seek redress as allowed by the Electoral Act. We, however advise the aggrieved to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship and be magnanimous in defeat,” it added.
Speaking further, YGC hailed President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for bequeathing Nigerians free, fair and credible elections, saying that the electoral Umpire boss, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, “deserves a thunderous applause for standing firm and unperturbed throughout the collation and announcement processes in the face of disruptive and unscrupulous elements who were bent on scuttling the processes.”
“We cannot but express our profound gratitude to all eligible Nigerian voters for coming out in their millions to exercise their franchise without trepidation. Indeed, they are the ultimate winner of the presidential elections as the President-elect and his cabinet is poised to stun them with myriad of pro-people policies and programmes that will holistically address the knotty issues of unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, corruption, insecurity and over all economic downturn.
“Once again, we heartily congratulate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our illustrious son, on this gigantic but pyrrhic electoral milestone. We hope and believe you will administer and leave Nigeria BETTER than you met it,” the Yoruba group said.
