The Ohaneze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in the Presidential Election of Feb. 23 and also urged politicians and international community to accept the result.
President Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared re-elected by INEC on Wednesday, having polled 15,191,847 votes, winning in 19 states.
Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 11,255,978 votes to finish second position, has since rejected the result.
The Secretary-General of the group, Chief Uche Okwukwu, gave the congratulatory message while briefing newsmen in Enugu.
“The Ohaneze Ndigbo heartily rejoices and congratulates President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, on his well-deserved victory at the Presidential polls on Feb. 23.
“His victory as exposed by the majority of votes cast has clearly shown that the President has been on the right course in the last four years.
“Ndigbo are deeply happy that Mr President secured more votes in Igbo land than he got in 2015.
“We urge all Nigerians and the international community to accept the verdict as the election was adjudged free, credible, transparent and peaceful.
“Ohanaze is calling on all not to heat up the polity through unguarded utterances and actions,’’ he said.
Okwukwu added that the leadership of the group would be meeting with President Buhari next week to present to him official congratulatory message on his well-deserved victory at the poll.
He, however, said that the group would use the occasion to present to Buhari the charter of their demands for infrastructure uplift of the entire Igbo speaking areas of the country.
“Part of our demands will be the completion of ongoing infrastructure works such as the 2nd Niger Bridge, modern railway, completion of ongoing Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt roads, fixing of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport among others,’’ he said.
The apex Igbo socio-political organisation went into the 2019 presidential election divided with a faction lead by its president, Nnia Nwodo supporting Atiku Abubakar while another faction, lead by its secretary Uche Okechukwu rooted for President Buhari.
With NAN report
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