Former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, yesterday described President Goodluck Jonathan as a “true Statesman who will be remembered for his courageous decision to concede defeat as a sitting President”. This followed the decision by President Jonathan to congratulate his rival on last Saturday’s Presidential election, General Muhammadu Buhari.Gen. Abubakar, who stated this while speaking with State House Correspondents after meeting with President Jonathan, eulogized him saying that his name would go down in the annals of Nigeria’s political history for having the courage to congratulate General Buhari on winning the Presidential election. The former Nigerian head of state disclosed that Buhari had informed him that President Jonathan had called him about 5:15pm congratulating him for winning the Presidential election.

According to him, “We are here to ensure that peace is maintained. As you are aware the election has been very peaceful.” Gen. Abubakar, recalled the incident that took place at the INEC Situation room while the election results were being announced. “The elections have been very peaceful despite the hitches here and there. At the end of the elections, at the counting there were a lot of upheavals that have happened but thankfully they have been contained. “We were at the middle of a meeting with the international observers to try to see how we can still water the tension down, when gladly I called Gen. Buhari that we are going to see him, he told me that Mr. President has called him at about 5:15 p.m. and congratulated him and conceded defeat. “We were spell bound and the reason we have come here is to thank President Jonathan for this statesmanship. “On behalf of Nigerians I want to thank President Jonathan for being the statesman that he is; he has proved that he is a statesman and he has the love of this country in his heart.

So Nigerians should please help him to ensure this is real,” he said. He added that “in the history of Nigeria I think this is the first time where a contestant has called his rival to congratulate him and through this point, President Jonathan maintained a point that the blood of Nigerians is not worth his presidency and by his action he has proved that. “He has proved that he is a man of his word because during our interaction on this peace committee he always maintained that he is going to accept the result of the elections whichever way it is done. And he has proved this.” He also appealed to all Nigerians, to join hands to assist the President to ensure a peaceful handing over, even as he also appealed to those celebrating to do so moderately. “And I will appeal to all politicians, those who are celebrating and those who are sorrowing, to please give peace a chance and to be moderate. In any contest there is always going to be a winner and President Jonathan has accepted that he lost and we want to thank him. “For any Nigerian who is aggrieved, the electoral laws have procedures seeking re-address, so if anybody has any grievance he should apply through the law. I appeal again to our youth, to everybody to please give peace a chance and accept that the chief contestant himself has accepted. So nobody should go and raise any eyebrow and cause any destabilization of this country”, he appealed. The President was last night also meeting with top hierarchy of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the Presidential Villa.

The meeting was summoned to review the current political development in the country and chart the way forward. The President however broke away from the meeting to also meet with members of the National Peace Committee on the 2015 general election led by retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar. Other members of the delegation were Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd.), Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Justice Rose Ukeje, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III among others. The Peace Committee had met with President Jonathan and General Muhammadu Buhari before the elections. The Committee were also instrumental to the re-enactment of the Non-Violence Accord signed in Abuja last January which was renewed at the Sheraton Hotel on the eve of the presidential and National Assembly elections.

UPP Congratulates Buhari

Presidential Candidate of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Chief Chekwas Okorie, also yesterday congratulated Gen. Muhammadu Buhari for winning last Saturday’s election.Speaking in a congratulatory message made available to The UNION, Okorie said “in the tradition of democracy, the Nigerian people have spoken in your favour and entrusted you with their mandate to oversee their welfare and development in the next four years, beginning from 29th May, 2015, when you are expected to be sworn-in to office as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the special grace of God. “It is common saying that to whom much is given much is expected. There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigerians expect real positive change in their social, political and economic life during your presidency. “Although UPP is by definition in the opposition as a result of the accepted outcome of the 2015 Presidential Election, I however, extend our hand of fellowship to your Government in the interest of national unity and development. “I shall be constructively engaged with your Government to the benefit of the Nigerian people and to the glory of God. “The ball is now in your court and we have no doubt that with your experience, track record and maturity, the unity and development of Nigeria where justice and equity shall reign will be your guiding principles”.

Mamora Lauds Jonathan

Presidential agent of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Sen. Olorunimbe Mamora, yesterday praised President Goodluck Jonathan’s gallantry in accepting the emergence General Muhammadu Buhari in the March 28 presidential election. Mamora, who confirmed that the President Jonathan had called Gen. Buhari to congratulate him on his victory at the polls, described the action as that of “a revered statesman with maturity and gallantry”. “I can assure you to the extent that Mr President, Goodluck Jonathan, has already put a call to Gen Muhammadu Buhari. “I can confirm to you that I put a call to Gen Buhari. And I am not getting this from a second party, at about a quarter past 5pm, this evening that Jonathan called to congratulate him. ”I must commend him for that show of gallantry and display of maturity. I commend him for that singular display of maturity and goodwill”, Mamora said. He also noted the victory was more for the people of Nigeria.

”Of course it’s a song of victory all over. I can assure that if you go to streets you will see jubilation on the streets. “We have to congratulate the determination, the courage exhibited, at a point it went beyond the party and became a movement”, he said.

Lai Mohammed Reacts

National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Lai Muhammad, also told journalists yesterday that President Goodluck Jonathan called Muhammadu Buhari at about 5:15pm to congratulate him on his victory in the 2015 polls even before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the final results. “President Goodluck Jonathan has congratulated APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in the Saturday’s election. In a telephone call at exactly 5:15pm to Buhari in Abuja, Jonathan assured him of maximum cooperation and smooth transition”, he said. Muhammed also said that President Jonathan has also called National leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu, to congratulate him on his party’s victory at the poll. Speaking on the secret behind the party’s success, Muhammed said, “the moment our leaders made the supreme sacrifice to drop their personal ambitions and agree at a merger that gave all of us a broader platform with a national outlook which was able to combine the expertise of the technocrats in the sagacity of the politicians. “For the first time in Nigeria, we are having a truly pan Nigerian opposition political party. The issues that defines this election were primarily corruption, ineptitude, bad economy and insecurity and in General Muhammadu Buhari we have found the qualities to tackle all. These are much the reasons why Nigerians voted for him across board, “he said.