From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The All Progressives Party (APC) Organising Secretary in the South East, Mr Dozie Ikedife Jr said that the declaration of Senator Bola Tinubu as the President-elect was an indication that the majority of Nigerians gave him their mandate to be the next President of Nigeria.
He insisted that Senator Tinubu polled about forty per cent of the votes in a four-way presidential race.
According to him, Tinubu was elected with an APC majority in both chambers of the National Assembly, saying that the election was a clear manifestation that the majority of Nigerian voters paid close attention to the APC’s manifesto during the campaigns.
On the outcry of many Nigerians, the Labour Party (LP), its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that there was a monumental rigging of the February 25 presidential election allegedly made possible by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ikedife said it was historic that many people cry fowl when they lose elections.
“LP candidate is saying that he won and the PDP candidate is also saying that he won. Were elections rigged in States where LP and PDP won? The other candidates should know that only one person will win and the winner is Bola Tinubu.
“Were elections rigged in states where APC came second? Tinubu won because he won ten States. In many States where PDP won, APC came close second and in states where LP won, APC also came close second; so do the Mathematics.
On whether he anticipated any uprising coming as an outcome of the election result which many adjudged was declared hastily and in error, Mr Ikedife( Jr )said there was no reason for any of the presidential candidates to support or call for an uprising in the country.
“We are in a democracy and there are channels for people to register their displeasure after elections. That’s why election tribunals are part of the electoral process.
“Tinubu satisfied the requirements to be declared President. He won twenty-five per cent of votes in thirty states and won the majority votes. Results were tabulated for four days, so where was the haste?
The APC chieftain also reacted to the move by the National Assembly to zone Senate Presidency to the South East to probably assuage a likely protest in the zone over the election result.
Ikedife (Jr) explained that Senate Presidency was part of the internal arrangement of the APC. He said that the party zoned the Presidency to the South with the optimism that the Senate Presidency would come to the South East.
He further explained that the arrangement was made when Bola Tinubu emerged as a presidential candidate with a view that APC would win the general elections which he said the party did.
Asked how his party would receive it if the court sacks Tinubu as President, he said: “How will any court sack Tinubu? Bola Tinubu won the elections, with the mandate to be President for four years.”