The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has expressed optimism that his candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would emerge victorious in the February 25 presidential election.

The APC-PCC said it is very upbeat as the numbers do not lie.

The Council called on the opposition, particularly Atiku Abubakar’s PDP to stop the “macabre dance of a dying horse and embrace defeat honourably. There can still be honour in defeat.”

The Media and Communication Adviser of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Dele Alake, at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, February 27, stated that with the results received from across the country, the signs were clear that the deceit and propaganda of the opposition did not fetch them the expected votes.

Alake said this has expectedly generated “anxiety in their camps with many of their leaders making irresponsible incendiary comments.”

Tinubu thanks Nigerians for coming out in large numbers to exercise their civic duty on Saturday, February 25, 2023.

He said: “It was, yet again, a momentous day in our democratic journey as Nigerians lined up to choose the next set of leaders, especially the President and National Assembly members that will direct the affairs of our country for the next four years.

“We are glad to note the very convivial atmosphere under which the election was conducted. Domestic and international observers have adjudged the election and the process as credible and transparent. They also thumbed up the electoral commission and security agencies for the general peaceful conduct of the election. This is in spite of isolated cases of technical hitches and attempts by some of our desperate opponents to subvert the process through violence and other malpractices.

“The results trickling in since the close of voting on Saturday have clearly shown the direction Nigerians have chosen to go. Right from the polling unit results received from across the country, the signs were clear that the deceit and propaganda of the opposition did not fetch them the expected votes. This has expectedly generated anxiety in their camps with many of their leaders making irresponsible incendiary comments.”

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Alake added: “A cursory look at the figures from across the states show that our candidate is well placed for victory. The results have shown that the Labour Party, as we kept saying, is no threat to our victory.

“For example, the PDP’s celebrated victory in Katsina State was only with a difference of less than 7,000 votes. On the other hand, the APC maintains a lead of over 30,000 and 150,000 in nearby Jigawa and Zamfara states, respectively.

“The bad news for PDP, however, is its dismal performance in Kano where the APC is emerging with over 600,000 difference ahead of the PDP. This is a monumental figure which offsets the PDP in the entire North.

“The trend is the same in the South where PDP’s very poor show in Lagos, Oyo, Rivers and other key states spell doom for the party. The little gains made by the PDP in South-South and South-East are too little to compensate for the party’s huge deficit suffered in the South-West.

“In the North Central, the APC has decimated all parties to a comfortable majority votes in Kwara, Kogi and Niger. Our impressive show in Benue, FCT and Plateau is also pushing PDP into third position in these places.

“Taken together, we are very upbeat as the numbers do not lie. We call on the opposition to stop the macabre dance of a dying horse and embrace defeat honourably. There can still be honour in defeat.

“We once again call for maturity and restraint. Nigerians have spoken through the ballots and the umpire must be allowed to do its work without harassment or blackmail.

“Security agents should stay on alert and deal with individuals and groups who are planning to foment trouble. Election is not a war. This is democracy at play.”

The Star