Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s president-elect, has issued a warning against violence during the supplementary elections across some states on Saturday.
Supplementary elections are scheduled to take place in 185 local government areas across 24 states, including Adamawa, Kebbi, and Rivers on Saturday.
In a statement issued by his media office on Friday, the president-elect urged electorates in the areas where the supplementary elections would hold to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner and avoid violence.
He said: “As the last leg of the 2023 General Election, we must ensure that the electoral processes are brought to a final, peaceful conclusion.
“I urge all Nigerians in areas where the additional polls will take place to eschew violence and conduct themselves in an orderly and peaceful manner.
“We should desist from acts prejudicial to the conduct of orderly polls or that will threaten the very existence of the country
“It is only when there is a country that aspirants to political offices can have seats to contest for and the electorates have people seeking their votes.”
Tinubu called on APC members and the party’s supporters in the areas listed for the polls to come out in their large numbers to cast their votes for the party’s candidates.
“Our party members and supporters should vote overwhelmingly for APC to complement and solidify the victory we recorded in the earlier poll.
“This will no doubt help in the effective functioning of government at the Federal and State levels for the benefit of our people.
“On this note, I wish INEC, all voters in the various polling units in these elections, the candidates and parties involved a very successful supplementary poll,” he noted.