The Presidency has revealed that it was President Muhammadu Buhari who allowed the “president-elect” Bola Tinubu to win the February 25 presidential election.
Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, stated this in an interview, adding that this was why Tinubu took his certificate of return first to go and show Buhari in Daura, Katsina State.
Newsmen  had reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC declared Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), winner of the election despite several irregularities and non-adherence to some rules and regulations set out for the election.
The Chairman of the electoral umpire, Prof Mahmood Yakubu who announced the result of the election declared that Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat fellow contenders – Atiku Abubakar of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 6,984,520 votes, Labour Party’s Peter Obi had 6,101,533 votes to come third and candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) Rabiu Kwankwaso with 1,496,687 votes.
The main opposition parties and their candidates have rejected the result as declared by INEC and are already challenging the declaration at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
While the election petition tribunal continues to hear the petitions, the acclaimed winner would be sworn in on Monday May 29, 2023 as the next President and Commander -in- Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
However, featuring in an interview with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Shehu, said, “He, President Muhammadu Buhari) allowed him (Tinubu) to win in a free and fair process.”
The outgoing media aide noted that because of the gesture, Tinubu had continued to appreciate and remained grateful to Buhari for allowing him to win the election.
“When he (Tinubu) took his certificate from INEC, the first thing he did was that he flew to Daura and showed it to the president.
“The incoming president Bola Tinubu never gets tired of saying that the president allowed him to win. It is very significant. He allowed him to win in a free and fair process.”
On what to expect from the incoming administration, Shehu claimed that Buhari’s regime and Tinubu’s incoming administration would be “the same government” run by the All Progressives Congress.
“What to expect between the incoming and the outgoing as of today, it’s even a more perfect relationship. It is going to be the same government, different administrations. It’s APC.”