Dear Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso, others – by Frank Ofili

The electoral authority in Nigeria has spoken. And they have told us that, by their records, Majority of Nigerians have elected Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu President. Accordingly, they have declared him winner of the 2023 Presidential election.

In the interest of peace, I urge to please make that call. Pick your phones and call Ashiwaju. Congratulate him. If you have issues with the election – as I do – later you can go to court to sort it out. I gather this may be unpalatable for you to do. But as I said earlier, do it in the interest of peace. Congratulating him does not necessarily mean you agree with the result of the election. Nor is it compulsory to so do. But while you gather your evidence for a potentially epic legal battle, do not, in the interest of democracy and the rule of law, make incendiary statements, or do anything that would precipitate post-election violence.

On my part, in fulfilment of my pledge to respect and support whoever emerges President as the wish of Majority of Nigerians, I hereby congratulate Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his electoral victory.

I congratulate him in spite of my reservations with the electoral process. I congratulate him in spite of my misgivings with the outcome. But I will respect the law of the land, even though I feel he does not deserve the victory. If I feel I need to seek redress, I would do so through constitutional means. I wouldn’t have it another way.

Fellow Nigerians, please let’s move on. We have a country to build.