Nasiru Gawuna, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recently concluded Kano state governorship election, has conceded defeat and accepted the election results.
This followed the presentation of a certificate of return to the winner of the election, Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a brief two-minute audio statement released on Wednesday, Gawuna confirmed that his party had requested a review of the election results by INEC.
However, following the review, the commission declared Yusuf the election’s winner, prompting Gawuna to concede defeat and accept the outcome as a “good Muslim.”
“I want to use this medium to congratulate His Excellency, Governor-elect Abba Kabir Yusuf, on his victory at the just-concluded gubernatorial election in Kano.
“Although we requested a review of the election result by INEC, the commission, after the review, still finds Abba Kabir Yusuf as the winner of the election; therefore, as a good Muslim, I must accept the outcome whether in my favor or not,” Gawuna said.
He further expressed his good wishes for Yusuf’s tenure as Governor of Kano State. “I want to assure the people of Kano that we will continue to work together with the government in power for the development and progress of the state. I wish Abba Kabir Yusuf [a] good tenure and God’s guidance as he assumes the mantle of leadership of our great state,” he added.
The Kano state governorship election held on March 18 was a closely contested race between Abba Kabir Yusuf of the NNPP and Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the APC. Yusuf emerged victorious with 1,014,353 votes, while Gawuna scored a total of 987,819 votes.