My dear good people of Nasarawa State, today is a historic day, today is the day that the Supreme Court of Nigeria has con- firmed and affirmed me as the Governor of Nasarawa State. Today brings the conclusion to the long run 10 months’ exercise of our election, the Tribunal, the Appeal Court, and finally the Supreme Court. I want to use the opportu- nity to show great appreciation to the Ju- diciary for confirming us, just like we were declared by the INEC, I also want to take special opportunity to thank the opposi- tion and to appreciate them for testing the principle of democracy. What they have done is going through exactly what democracy is all about, they have tested, they have asked, they have gone through, and today conclude all these long run exercise.

The good people of Nasarawa State remain one, and we must continue to remain so, we must work for the progress of Nasarawa State.

I want to specifically thank the good peo- ple of Nasarawa State for the tolerance, the patience that they have gone through, it was a very trying moment for most people who has actually gone through all kinds of exercises, you know, in order for us to get there. Let me take the opportunity to appreciate our members of the APC for their patience, so today, both the victors and those who did not win at the Supreme Court have become one. The good people of Nasarawa State remain one, and we must continue to remain so, we must work for the progress of Nasarawa State. There is nothing wrong about what the opposition has done by going to the court, they have tested democracy the way it is supposed to be tested. So, I want us to be able to forgive each other, as a leader, you cannot be a good leader until you can tolerate, until you are patient, and until you understand what democracy is all about.

Your Governor has the patience to withstand all kinds of intimida- tion, your Governor has the pa- tience to understand all kinds of insult that will come from people who do not understand what it is. Your Governor has to tolerate, and this Governor will continue to tolerate in order for us to do that. But most importantly, we want peace in Nasarawa State, without peace we can’t go anywhere, Nasarawa State has the stron- gest prospect that you can think of. But those prospects, just like it has been in the past will continue actually to be mirage if we can’t come together and live in peace with one another. I thank you the good people of Nasarawa State, we must continue to remain one, we must continue to tolerate each other, we must continue to abandon those who con- tinue to preach ethnicity and religion. Be- cause those two things in particular have no place in a civilization, and if we want to be civilized, we must keep them to the side and look at merit, and look at honesty, and look at sincerity, so we can take our State to the next level. Thank you very much and may God bless you. His Excellency, Engr Abdullahi A. Sule