As Nigeria takes yet another momentous step on her journey towards greatness, it behoves us to join all good people in the country and our friends and well wishers from all over the world to celebrate this seamless transfer of power to a new set of elected leaders, at both the national and state levels. Most importantly, all decent people must pay glowing tributes to the commitment of the immediate past President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for this phenomenal leap towards political stability and economic prosperity.
I congratulate the former Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, and other members of the Federal Executive Council for a successful tenure. I am confident that posterity will reserve a worthy mention for their collaborative efforts, which have bequeathed abiding legacies to this country, despite experiencing difficult moments, since assumption of office, till the very last days. I congratulate all members of the All Progressives Congress for the victory at the last polls.
On this occasion, I felicitate the new President, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, GCFR, most heartily, for his resilience, equanimity, doggedness and uncommon tenacity to achieve set objectives. I congratulate the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, for being a part of the team who will steer the affairs of the country for the next four years. I rejoice with the All Progressives Congress for working assiduously and sustaining the momentum until the final victory was won. I congratulate Nigerians for being witnesses to history.
We must admonish ourselves on the need to remain focused on the socio-economic programmes for the emancipation of our people. This is not the time to gloat on the electoral victories recorded in the last general elections. It is definitely not a season for recriminations. The rhetoric, which conveys the divisive nuance of “we against them” ought to have ceased with the declaration of the winners by the electoral body, INEC. This is the moment when all the new leaders must cast aside all tendencies which promote and deepen cleavages of different hues. All hands must be deployed on deck.
The task ahead is so enormous than to warrant attending to frivolities capable of distracting the new Administration. There must be conscious attempts to bring on board only those with proven capacity with regard to expertise. The President must ensure that all those who are bent on setting Nigerians on one another are neutralised. The new Administration has its jobs well defined, the very first being the urgent need to assisting in birthing a new constitutional order which takes into account, keenly, the principles of federalism.
The success recorded at fixing the basic defects in the 1999 Constitution, As Amended, will determine, largely, the pattern and the depth of the deliberative governance designed to achieve development. All existential issues will be addressed realistically. It is our duty to encourage the new Government to tread this honourable path. The new thinking should anticipate active participation by the constituent units of the Federation as coordinate partners in revenue generation and the security of lives and property of the citizenry.
I have no doubt that Mr President is ready to deliver on this mandate of rectitude. His record of service in Lagos State leaves no room for any doubt concerning his capacity to turn things around positively. The Federal Government should expect robust engagements from the Government and people of Ondo State who expressed confidence in the new leadership through the overwhelming support given the President at the last presidential election.
I, on behalf of the Government and the people of Ondo State, join other party leaders and members to congratulate the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the successful take-over of the mantle of leadership.
We wish the President a successful tenure.
SIGNED:
ARAKUNRIN OLUWAROTIMI O. AKEREDOLU, SAN, CON
GOVERNOR, ONDO STATE AND CHAIRMAN, SOUTH WEST GOVERNORS’ FORUM
