BRIEF PRESS STATEMENT BY GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI,GCFR, PRESIDENT ELECT
ON THE PLATFORM OF THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS, APC. MARCH 31ST, 2015
He said that it was exactly 5:15pm yesterday evening when President Jonathan called to congratulate him on his victory. For this, he want all Nigerians to join him 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. While there 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 reconciliation 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 which is today 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
