*Tinubu, Fani-Kayode react
President Muhammadu Buhari has been declared winner of Saturday’s presidential elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Returning Officer for the 2019 presidential elections, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the declaration at about 4.37am Wednesday .
Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 15,191,847 votes to defeat the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had 11,262,978 votes.
Making the declaration, Yakubu said: “That Muhammadu Buhari, having scored the highest number of votes and satisfied the provision of the electoral act, is hereby declared the winner of the presidential election.”
He announced that certificate of return will be issued to the President-elect and Vice President-elect by 2 pm on Wednesday.
Buhari speaking at the APC Presidential Campaign office in Abuja, expressed gratitude to Nigerians who voted him to continue serving for the next four years.
He said: “Your Excellency the vice president, all party dignitaries, first and foremost I thank the God almighty who has made our lives and given our party this victory.
“I thank those who voted and reelected me president for the next four years.
“I will continue to serve you for the next four years, serve supporters who sacrificed so much of their time and resources to ensure the success of this election.
“I will like to commend our security agencies for their hard work during the election process.
“I thank you for your support and my God bless the Republic of Nigeria.”
In his reaction, the National Leader of theAPC, Asiwaju Bolaji Ahmed Tinubu, called on the opposition to accept the result, adding that the election was free and fair.
Tinubu spoke at the Campaign Centre of the APC, in Abuja after President Buhari gave his address to party members and Nigerians.
Tinubu said, “There will always be a winner and a loser in an election.
“That is what is being demonstrated in the country today. It is now left for true democrats to accept the outcome of this free and fair process.”
He thanked the Independent National Electoral Commission for the smooth conduct of the election.
He added: “INEC has done its best. They have been excellent in this election and we must congratulate them.”
But a former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, has told Atiku Abubakar what next to do.
Fani-Kayode urged the former vice president to petition INEC over his grievances.
In a tweet, the former minister advised Atiku to work within the law in other to ensure peace.
He tweeted: “However before anything else, I advise @Atiku to put his grievances in writing and forward it to the appropriate authorities and INEC for necessary action.
“I advise him to work WITHIN the law and to ensure that all peaceful and lawful means of retrieving his mandate are exhausted.”