Perhaps more than any other demographic, young Nigerians became the biggest drivers of a Muhammadu Buhari presidency. They suffused the social media space with messages from the campaign and corralled themselves into volunteer groups who took the “change” message to the myriad street corners dotting the landscape.

Young Nigerians were also at the center of spawning all manner of Buhari avatars and computer graphics in a wave of creativity that became the hallmark of a successful APC campaign.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential standard bearer and president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, has written to express his appreciation to this demographic. His message (in his own words), is reproduced below:

Today, more than 54 years after we got our independence and 16 years since our return to democracy, the walk to true change has started.

We have toiled, sweated and worked hard for this victory. We refused to give up because the work of building the Nigeria of our dreams is not to be taken for granted. It is out of our love for this country and the belief in what it can be that we went across the length and breadth of Nigeria and sacrificed so much for this victory.

I want to thank young Nigerians especially for this victory. You have been with us from the very beginning. Many of you left your jobs to work for the campaign, contributed your money and your time, volunteered in your areas and brought the innovation and energy that comes with youthfulness to bear on the outcome.

This is your victory.

You have chosen to vote for a Nigeria that sees you as not a Northerner or a Southerner, not as a Christian or a Muslim but as a Nigerian. You have chosen to vote for a departure from a nation that was decaying, that did not give you hope and pride.

You have chosen to vote for change and we promise you that we will not be disappointed. We know that your hopes are high: a country that is safe and peaceful, a country that is without corruption, a country that produces jobs for you, a country that gives you the environment for your business to thrive.

I promise you that the APC government led by me will deliver these to you. We will ensure that we meet and exceed your aspirations.

This government is your government and every decision we shall take shall be to give you a positive future.

We shall also run a country that will listen to you, engage with you and take corrections from you. This is because the task of building the Nigeria of our dreams cannot be done by us alone. We need you too.

We need you to support us and we also need you to admonish us when we make missteps. This shall be a government for all Nigerians and we shall listen to everyone.

We thank you once again for your support and we look forward to a great future together.

God bless you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.