Buhari Extends Hand Of Fellowship To Jonathan

BRIEF PRESS STATEMENT BY GENERAL MUHAMMADU
BUHARI,GCFR, PRESIDENT ELECT ON THE PLATFORM OF THE
ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS, APC. MARCH 31ST, 2015
At exactly 5:15pm this evening President Jonathan called to
congratulate me on my victory. For this I want all Nigerians to join
me in congratulating and appreciating Mr President for his
statesmanship.
President Jonathan engaged in a spirited campaign and was a
worthy opponent. I extend my hand of fellowship to him. I look
forward to meeting him soon as we plan the transition from one
administration to another. He will receive nothing but
understanding, cooperation and respect from me and my team.
The good people of Nigeria, answered the call of history. When the
account of this fine moment is written, it will be said that it was the
people themselves who led this nation to democracy.
You stood in line patiently for hours in the sun, rain and then in the
dark to cast your ballots. Even when the vote was extended to
Sunday in some places, you still performed your civic duty. You did
so peacefully. You voted with your heart. Your vote affirms that
you believe Nigeria’s future can be better than what it is today.
You voted for change and now change has come.
INEC has released the official results of the Presidential election.
INEC has declared that I gained the most votes with the required
spread and thus won this election. In a more profound way, it is
you, Nigerians that have won. The people have shown their love for
our nation and their belief in democracy.
The declaration of INEC accurately reflects the will of the people.
Whilethere might have been some logistical obstacles and
irregularities associated with the exercise, the result shall stand as
what the people want.
I thank all Nigerians who have made this day possible. Our country
has now joined the community of nations that have used the ballot
box to peacefully change an incumbent President in a free and fair
election. To me this is indeed historic.
Most people will welcome the result because it is the one they
voted for. Others will naturally be disappointed. I ask that we all be
circumspect, respectful and peaceful in these times.
This was a hard- fought contest. Emotions are high. We must not
allow them to get the better of us. This is not the time for
confrontation. This is a moment that we must begin to heal the
wounds and work toward a better future. We do this first by
extending a hand of friendship and conciliation across the political
divide. We hope and pray our friends in other parties reciprocate.
I thank all the members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for
their commitment and their hard work through the formation of the
party, the campaigns and the Presidential elections. Let me equally
extend my appreciation to the MEDIA, Civil Society and the
Security agencies for their selfless service.
The International press and our friends abroad deserve special
commendation for their support throughout the process. We
promise a robust and dynamic engagement with your countries in
matters of mutual interest to nations.
In the interim, I call on all Nigerians to be law abiding and peaceful.
The eyes of the world were focused on us to see if we could vote in
a peaceful way and carry out a representative election in an
orderly manner. You have proven to the world that we are a people
who have embraced democracy and a people who seek a of
government by, for and of the people.
We have put one party state behind us. You have voted for a party
and president that will serve and govern but never rule over you.
Change has come. A new day and a new Nigeria are upon us. The
victory is yours and the glory is that of our nation – Nigeria
I will make a more formal address to the nation tomorrow after
receiving the certificate of return from INEC.
May God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR,
President Elect,
Federal Republic of Nigeria