United States President,Barrack
Obama, on Wednesday,
commended President
Goodluck Jonathan and the
President-elect, Maj.Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd), for
their public commitments to
non-violence during their
campaigns.
Obama, in a statement said
President Jonathan placed
Nigeria’s interests first by
conceding defeat while
congratulating Buhari on his
victory.
“I look forward to working with
President Jonathan throughout
the remainder of his term, and I
thank him for his many years of
service and his statesmanlike
conduct at this critical
juncture. I urge President-elect
Buhari and President Jonathan
to repeat their calls to their
supporters to continue to
respect the election outcomes,
focus on unifying the country,
and together lead Nigeria
through a
peaceful transition,”Obama
stated.
The US President also
commended the large turnout
of voters, saying this shows the
strength of Nigeria’s
commitment to
democratic principles.
Obama also called for a special
honour for the Independent
National Electoral Commission
and its Chairman, Attahiru Jega.
According to him, the electoral
body and Jega deserve
special recognition for the
largely peaceful and orderly
election.
The statement read, “I
commend INEC for its extensive
efforts to increase the
credibility and transparency of
the electoral process.
Looking ahead to the
governorship elections on April
11, it is imperative that national
attention turn to ensuring
isolated logistical challenges
are overcome and peace is
protected, even in the most
hotly contested races.
” On behalf of the American
people, I extend
congratulations to the people of
Nigeria and to President-Elect
Buhari and look forward
to continuing to work with the
newly-elected government on
our many shared priorities.”
