“It’s my turn actually!” An elated Bola Tinubu enthused an hour after he was declared the President-Elect of Nigeria by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday morning.
“I am profoundly humbled to serve as the 16th President of our beloved country. This is a shining moment in the life of any man and an affirmation of our democratic existence,” he added.
The former Lagos State Governor and presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) thanked all those who participated in the February 25 election with particular mention of ‘Articulated’, ‘Obidients’, ‘Batified’ and ‘Kwankwasiyya’ supporters.
“I take this opportunity to appeal to my fellow contestants to let us team up together. It is the only nation we have. It is one country and we must build together,” he said.
Tinubu, 70, won in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states and received considerable votes in several others to claim the most votes — 8,794,726, about two million more than his nearest challenger, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Abubakar, 76, who has now stood for president six times, received 6,984,520 votes, while the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi, who rallied youthful voters in an unprecedented manner in less than a year, received 6,101,533.
Tinubu’s path to triumph was far from easy. He had to compete with heavyweights and partymen including as Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, and former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, among others, to obtain his party’s ticket for the contest.
Disappointed by the President’s apparent lack of support and alleged opposition from important members of the Presidency, he would go on to deliver his now-famous “Emilokan (It is my turn)” address on June 2, 2022.
“It is the turn of Yoruba, it is my turn,” he said while addressing party delegates at the Presidential Lodge in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
