The All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu has congratulated William Ruto over his emergence as the winner of the Kenyan presidential election under United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman, Wafuka Chebukati, on Monday declared Ruto, Kenya’s Deputy President, as the president-elect, announcing that he garnered 50.5 percent votes against Raila Odinga who got 48.8 percent votes.
Odinga and his supporters have since rejected the outcome of the exercise and have vowed to challenge it in court.
Also, four IEBC commissioners led by vice chairperson, Juliana Cherera have faulted the declaration of Ruto as the winner of the Kenyan presidential election.
But in a statement on Tuesday, Tinubu congratulated Ruto and his political party, UDA for the victory at the polls, urging the Kenyan people to embrace the election results and shun violence.
He advised aggrieved parties to pursue peaceful resolution via its judiciary to resolve differences.
Tinubu said in a statement titled “Congratulations on successful elections, Kenya” and issued on his verified Instagram page, said he looks forward to a sustained cordial relationship between Nigeria and Kenya.
The statement read, “I congratulate William Ruto and his UDA party on his election as the next president of Kenya.
“I also congratulate and commend the people of Kenya on the peaceful conduct of the elections.
“While urging all Kenyans to accept this result and shun violence, I enjoin them to seek peaceful adjudication of all disputes through the Kenyan legal system.
“This shall be the greatest testament to the progress Kenya has made in strengthening the core institutions of its democracy.
“It is my prayer that as President, Mr. Ruto will unite the country, bringing all Kenyans together to move their great nation forward and implementing the progressive policies and reforms desired by the people.
“I wish Mr. Ruto and all the people of Kenya the very best and look forward to a continued beneficial and cordial relationship between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Kenya.”