Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, on Tuesday, urged the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the 2019 presidential election, Muhammadu Buhari; that of the Peoples Democratic Party, Abubakar Atiku, and other candidates from other political parties to accept the results of the election in the interest of Nigerians and the unity of the country.
Gowon spoke at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, during the opening of an exhibition in honour of Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Oladipo Akinkugbe, as part of the events marking his 85th birthday anniversary and hanging of his stethoscope after 60 years of medical practice.
Making reference to the event of 2015 when the then President Goodluck Jonathan accepted defeat by Buhari, Gowon, who attended the event with his wife, Victoria, said such a decision was necessary as it doused the tension created before and after the election. Also at the event were the Chairman, Board of Management of UCH, Ibrahim Shettima; Chief Medical Director of UCH, Prof. Temitope Alonge; Akinkugbe and his wife, Prof Sade Akinkugbe; and a former Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Abiodun Ilesanmi.
Gowon said, “What happened last time (in 2015), if you remember, there was so much tension and the tension was so high that if things had gone wrong, Nigeria would have been on fire. Then, as a result, former President Jonathan agreed at the early stage to say he accepted the results and congratulated Buhari. Now, this is the way.
“I was in Ethiopia on African Union mission. The feeling before what happened was tension, anxiety, and worry by all in all African states. When the result was announced, I was just leaving Ethiopia to come back to Nigeria; come and see the joy in the people of Africa at that meeting. So, that was the sort of things I will really say we should have so that we can have a peaceful election that is credible, peaceful and people should accept the results of the election for the sake of Nigeria.
“Where things go wrong, try to improve for the next time.”
