TheCable

The African Union (AU) has congratulated Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s president-elect, for his victory at the polls.

On Wednesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election and also issued him a certificate of return.

Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes, Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had 6,984,520, while Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) secured 6,101,533.

In a statement issued on Friday, Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of AU, congratulated Nigerians for demonstrating resilience in their commitment to democratic values by casting their votes for the leaders of their choice.

Mahamat urged Nigerians to uphold peace and the rule of law.

“In this regard, the Chairperson urges all stakeholders to uphold peace and the rule of law, and further urges that any post-election dispute or grievance be pursued through the judicial system, as provided for by the law,” the statement reads.

“The Chairperson expresses his deep gratitude to H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, former president of the Republic of Kenya for his outstanding leadership as head of the African Union Election Mission to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The Chairperson also extends his appreciation to ECOWAS and other partners for their fruitful collaboration in support of a peaceful election process in Nigeria.

“The Chairperson renews the commitment of the African Union to support the sisterly Federal Republic of Nigeria in her journey to deepen democracy, good governance, sustainable development and consolidate peace, security, and stability in the country.”