Dangote, Otedola, Mbeki, Others Visit, Congratulate President-elect Tinubu

Africa’s richest man and chairman,  chief of Dangote group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and billionaire businessman,  Femi Otedola on Friday paid the President-elect, Bola Tinubu a courtesy in his home in Abuja and congratulated him on his resounding victory at the just concluded presidential election last weekend.

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

Tinubu secured 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who had the second-highest figure with 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) who polled 6,101,533 votes.

Aside Dangote and Otedola, the president-elect has also been playing host to other dignitaries from within and outside the country.

Among those who have also visited Tinubu in Abuja were the former President of South African and Head of the Commonwealth Observer Mission to Nigeria, Dr. Thabo Mbeki, Nigeria and former governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje.

Mbeki, while speaking during his visit to Tinubu at his Abuja residence on Thursday, after the completion of the Commonwealth Observer Mission assignment in the country, advised President-elect to put the African continent on the front burner of his administration when assumes office. He urged the President-elect not to forget the African continent.

Affirming that the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly election was fair and credible, the South African leader asked Tinubu to make the entire African continent his compass when he takes over the reins of government. “Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with a big economy.

“Whatever happens here sets the pace for the rest of Africa. We need a strong Nigerian presidency that will also focus on the African region. Your opponent will be looking for the smallest thing to throw stones at. That is the way of democracy,” he said.

Soliciting the support of all African leaders, the President-elect assured the continent of his resolved commitment t to further African integration and economic development. He also promised to work with Mbeki and other leaders of the continent in this direction. “Please Mr. President (Mbeki), don’t be far from us.”

Similarly, Bello Matawalle, Zamfara state governor, alongside his counterparts, Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state and Yahaya Bello of Kogi state, visited Tinubu on Friday. The trio went to confer with the President-elect shortly after they left the Supreme Court where they had gone to hear the court’s verdict on a suit they instituted against the controversial naira redesign policy of the federal government.

Citing the hardships the continued scarcity of naira notes brought to their people, sued the federal government at the Supreme Court for a reversal of the policy, the three governors, on behalf of their states, on February 3, sued the federal government at the Supreme Court for a reversal of the policy.

Kano guber candidate too

Kano State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, was also at the residence of the President-elect to congratulate him on his victory at the presidential poll. Gawuna, who’s also the All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Kano state, was at Tinubu’s Abuja residence on Friday alongside with his running-mate, Hon. Murtala Sule Garo.

According to a statement by Gawuna’s media aide, Hassan Musa Fagge, the visit was to congratulate him and his running mate, Vice-President-elect Kashim Shettima on their laudable victory at the 2023 presidential election held across the country on Saturday, 25. Gawuna and Fagge were accompanied by the Kano state APC Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas and some other top government officials.