Following the landslide victory of Adams Oshiomole at the just concluded Edo State Gubernatorial election, congratulatory messages have continually been pouring in. However, the one which has caught the attention of a lot of Nigerians is that coming from the president of the country, Goodluck Jonathan, who is also the leader of Oshiomle’s major opponents, the PDP, in the country.
In what can only be described as a show of sportsmanship, the president has extended his congratulatory messages to the governor. According to statement emerging from the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan congratulates Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State on his re-election yesterday for another term in office… The President urges Governor Oshiomhole to receive the fresh mandate given to him yesterday by the people of Edo State as an endorsement of his outstanding performance in his first term and an expression of their desire for a continuation of his focused, purposeful and dynamic leadership.
“He expects that the Governor will work even harder in his second term to justify the confidence in his leadership clearly expressed by the Edo State electorate yesterday and assures him that the Federal Government will continue to give all possible support and assistance for development in the state… President Jonathan wishes the Comrade-Governor continued good health and a successful second term in the service of Edo State and Nigeria.”
The president also commended the INEC and its staff, as well as the security agencies for ensuring that the elections were “free and fair”. Meanwhile, the agent of the PDP has congratulated Mr. Oshiomhole for the victory, and INEC, for doing a good job pointing out that his party would study the result of the election and then come forward with a formal reaction.
