The president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), has advised those who won elections during the last elections to restore people’s hope in governance by exhibiting exemplary leadership.

He said it is only by jettisoning the culture of entrenched corruption that the politicians can be able to better the conditions of the people.

Buhari, who spoke when a delegation of All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders from Akwa Ibom led by the governorship candidate in the April 11 election, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, also implore those aggrieved by the outcome of the election to approach the tribunal.

“Let us practice what we preach as well, whoever wins as a governor too has a lot of work to do because corruption is fast becoming a culture and to try to caution people is not an easy task but it must be done. I know you all represent various constituencies, please pass our message and give them hope that we’ll do our best in the interest of all. I wish sincerely those that are going to tribunal the best of luck.

“This is what we are fighting, that is why corruption is number three in my campaign. The first one is security, the North-east, the Niger Delta areas where people are kidnapped and ransom are being demanded which people cannot afford.

“The second one is unemployment, 60 per cent of Nigerians are youths, most of them, whether they went to school or not are unemployed and that is dangerous. So we have to get the issue of the economy right to make sure the jobs are made available and we should try to kill corruption before corruption kills Nigeria.

While presenting the requests of the Akwa Ibom people,  the APC governorship candidate said there were complaints of gross under-representation in federal appointments, even in the oil industry, where the state leads in crude oil and gas production.

“While mentioning some of the developmental challenges facing our state, we would like to request that the Ibaka Deep Seaport should be treated as a priority project and completed by your administration to help ease the problem of unemployment facing youths in the state and the country at large, he said.

Umana expressed regret that his  people had hoped that there would be free and fair elections in Akwa Ibom State for them to vote and bring in APC government at both the state and federal levels, so that the lot of the people of the state would change for the better, but that the party lost the election  due to massive rigging.

“It is a matter for regret and great frustration that our votes for you in Akwa Ibom State were not allowed to count during the presidential election because of massive vote fraud and wanton violence,” he said.