Akeredolu To Tinubu: Nigerians Expect ‘Paradigm Shift’

Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has congratulated the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, for winning the last Saturday’s presidential election, and urged the incoming administration to dismantle all structures that stifle development.

Akeredolu noted that the pervasive anger in the land, to a large extent, dictated the voting pattern during the election.

According to the governor, the victory at the polls offers APC and the incoming administration of Tinubu the opportunity to address the factors militating against socio-economic development in the country.

He stressed that the Nigerian State must be administered as a true federation, adding that Ondo State Government will engage the Federal Government in this regard.

Tinubu was on Wednesday declared winner of the presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The former Lagos State governor polled a total of 8,794,726 votes from the 36 states and the FCT to emerge president-elect ahead of his closest contenders, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 6,984,520, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party who secured 6,101,533 votes.

“This victory offers yet another opportunity for the ruling party, APC, and the incoming government to continue with the developmental strides taken by the current Administration. Furthermore, it is a rare chance given by the people to the new leaders to tackle, headlong, the factors militating against socio-economic development in the country. The Nigerian State must be administered true to the acclaimed federal status. The Government and the people of Ondo State hope to engage the Federal Government, vigorously, on these issues. There will be no compromise on this stance.

“The people of this country expect a paradigm shift. The results of these elections represent their eloquent rejection of the politics of prebendalism which has made them become despondent. The pervasive anger in the land dictated the voting pattern, largely. We must be courageous enough to dismantle all structures which stifle development. The people have chosen competence and a verifiable record of quintessential performance over narrow-mindedness, propelled by ethno-religious considerations, and sinister predilections anchored on dubious claims to spiritual superiority and knowledge. They await, anxiously, the fulfilment of these promises. We cannot afford to disappoint ourselves as their minds are made up on getting quality service.

“Once again, I congratulate the President-Elect, the Vice President-Elect and all those who won their elections into the National Assembly, on this great victory and wish them a successful tenure in office,” Akeredolu said in a statement on Wednesday.

He urged other contestants to accept olive branch extended to them by the President-Elect for the good of the country, noting that this is the time that all hands must be on deck to surmount the challenges currently faced by the country.