The Great Nigeria project, bigger and more important than any partisan divide, beckons to all Nigerians, President-elect Ahmed Bola Tinubu has declared.
Tinubu made this declaration shortly after he and Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, received their Certificates of Return on Wednesday at the International Conference Center (ICC) in Abuja.
The President-elect, for the second time in less than 24 hours, extended an invitation to the opposition and those who did not vote for him in the February 25 election to join hands with him in the Nigerian project.
He had made a similar call in his acceptance speech shortly after the INEC Chairman declared him the winner of the presidential election around 4 am on Wednesday.
He sympathized with his opponents who lost in the election, saying “I understand your hurt. To you, I extend the embrace and comfort of one family member to another.
And to those who supported him, Tinubu urged them to continue to have faith in the mission that they had articulated.
He said “to those who didn’t support me, I ask that you not allow the disappointment of this moment to keep you from realizing the historic national progress we can make by joining hands and hearts in a common endeavour to pull this nation through.
“In a phrase, I am asking you to work with me. As your president, I need you. More importantly, Nigeria needs you. My heart and my door are open to you. I ask you to come in so that we may begin the task of rebuilding our national home together, day by day, brick by brick.”
He said, “Where there is poverty, let us create prosperity and jobs. Where there is hunger, let us feed the people, chasing hunger from their midst. Where there is scarcity, let us rediscover abundance. Where there is brutality, may we replace it with brotherhood. Where violence stalks the land, may we establish peace. Where others have erected temples to hatred and bias, may we construct permanent monuments to compassion and abiding affection.”
On the just concluded election, Tinubu recalled how it all went, saying “it was a long road, yet we walked it. It was a hard fight, yet we won.”
However, Tinubu humbled himself, saying “I am just a servant. I stand before you as the president elect. And yes, that is special. But, I am no different than any of you. If I can do this. You can do better. You must do better.
“Our destiny as a people and nation depends on our ability to shed the artificial restrictions of bias and prejudice so that we live fully unto our democratic creed that no one is innately superior or entitled to greater rights and opportunities than any other Nigerian.”
Tinubu predicted that soon youths and women would be presidents of this country. “Very soon, this nation shall witness a young person standing before you holding this great symbol of democracy and national leadership. We shall see a woman standing before you, holding this certificate as its owner.
“We shall experience someone from a tribe that many people have tried to dismiss as unqualified for this high office. By dint of hard work, determination and unyielding belief in a noble endeavor, you can achieve the best of things.
The president-elect described the certificate of return he received today as more than a document which he said confirmed the positive outcome of an election.
“This important document symbolizes our collective democratic attainment and even loftier aspirations. It represents the impending transfer of a most sacred duty and trust from one person to another.”
“At its most sublime, this certificate also symbolizes that each of you has the ability to achieve what others believe is impossible for you to achieve.”
