…extends hand of friendship as fellow contestants congratulate him
Following his landslide victory at the March 9 governorship election, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Governor-Elect, has expressed gratitude to God and thanked the people of the state for their overwhelming support in renewing his mandate.
This came as a coalition of governorship candidates in the state led by Gerald Abonyi of Labour Party (LP), paid him a congratulatory visit at the Government House, Enugu and declared that they were satisfied with the outcome of the election.
In his acceptance speech, Gov. Ugwuanyi told the people of Enugu State that he was “deeply humbled that you have, once again, invested your trust and faith in our team”, adding that it is now for him and his deputy and running mate, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo “to continue to work for you”.
Accepting the mandate, the governor pledged that his administration will devote energy and time to work harder for the wellbeing and prosperity of the people, stressing that “we are open to new ideas and new visions, as we continue to lay the solid foundation for a more prosperous Enugu State”.
According to him, “I hereby reaffirm that we will continue to serve you with the fear of God, with humility and an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of our people and lifting the State to unprecedented heights of development and progress”.
Gov. Ugwuanyi also expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for “his exemplary leadership and for providing the enabling environment that ensured the peaceful conduct of elections in our State”.
He equally saluted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “for a job well done and for keeping alive the dream of a brighter democracy”, stating that “we are equally grateful to the Nigerian security agencies and the independent observers who ensured that we had peaceful processes at the polls”.
To his fellow party leaders, members and teeming supporters, Gov. Ugwuanyi thanked them for “the wonderful job that you all did”, saying: “I am very proud of your contributions”.
His words: “This victory does not belong to me alone. It belongs to Ndi Enugu – our political leaders and other stakeholders irrespective of party affiliations; the market men and women, the barrow pushers, taxi and commercial bus drivers, Okada and Keke riders, petty traders, other artisans, town union and community leaders, the clergy, our revered traditional rulers, civil servants, the farmers, the professional class, youth and women groups, students and others who are the true heroes of our democracy.
“In truth, the victory is not a winner-takes-all. In our spirit of brotherhood, everyone is a winner. Therefore, I reach out my hand of friendship and partnership to my fellow contestants. I invite all of you to join hands with me so that together, we shall build a better Enugu State, to the glory of God.
“Now is the time to get back to work. We are inspired by the sacrifices and support of our people in renewing our mandate. I am confident that by the special grace of God and with your continuing cooperation and prayers, all things concerning Enugu State will continue to end in praise”.
