On Sunday, President Bola Tinubu congratulated Mahamat Déby on his win in the Chad election.
Tinubu's statement, signed by Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, expressed Nigeria's commitment to collaborating with Chad to improve peace, security, and prosperity for both countries.
The statement is named 'President Tinubu congratulates President-elect of the Republic of Chad, Mahamat Déby, on election victory.'
Déby emerged as the winner with over 61 percent in the provisional results announced by Chad’s electoral authority on May 9.
The runner-up, Prime Minister Succès Masra, who only received 18.5 per cent of the votes, has contested the results.
Chad’s electoral authority released the results ahead of the planned May 21 announcement.
In his message to the president-elect, Tinubu affirmed that the successful conduct of elections in Chad demonstrates their dedication to democracy and orderly transitions.
He also called for continued friendly cooperation between the two nations and extended well wishes to the President-elect for his service to the people of Chad.
The May 6, 2024 elections in Chad marked a crucial moment as the country moves from military to democratic rule following the death of long-time leader Idriss Déby in April 2021.
After his father's death, Mahamat Idriss Déby took over leadership under a transitional military council and played a significant role in the elections, vowing to continue his father's legacy.
This was the first election since the passing of Idriss Déby in a backdrop of political tension and skepticism about the fairness of the electoral process.
Prior to Thursday’s announcement, Masra accused the authorities of planning to manipulate the outcome in a Facebook post.
Masra said, “These orders will lead you to side with the wrong side of Chad’s history, these orders will lead you to fight your brothers and sisters, these orders will lead you to commit the irreparable and unforgivable Refuse to obey these unjust orders!”
Despite pledging an 18-month transition to democratic elections, the transitional Council led by Déby extended its mandate.
The constitutional changes approved in December 2023 aimed to decentralize power and adjust presidential term limits.
