Over 54 million citizens went to the polls to secure a legitimate government, handing Ethiopia a resilient mandate as the nation navigates mounting geopolitical shifts and foreign pressures. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared that while elections create winning and losing political parties, Ethiopia itself has no losing citizens. Praising voters for making their voices heard despite intense pressure, rumors, and logistical hurdles, he emphasized that national challenges must be crossed together in brotherhood, noting that a house cannot be built with a single hand.

Addressing the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, PM Abiy revealed that foreign actors tried to stall the project by pulling the country back with a long rope as Ethiopia asserted its right to use its rivers. While the nation staggered under these immense pressures, it refused to fall and will not crumble in the future, he casually assured the House of Peoples' Representatives midway through his second-term acceptance speech. He stressed that Ethiopia will continue to shatter destructive plots through unity and hard work rather than empty talk.

Turning to international affairs, PM Abiy warned that today’s world operates in a grey zone where black and white are blurry, with rapid economic and geopolitical shifts demanding immediate preparation. Situated near the strategic Bab-el-Mandeb shipping corridor where the Red Sea meets the Indian Ocean, Ethiopia sits at the center of global power rivalries. Citing a Nigerian proverb that rain does not fall on only one roof, he reminded the public that regional political storms inevitably touch Ethiopia, adding that while hitting an obstacle once is natural, getting hit repeatedly points to a deeper issue.