extension of hand of fellowship from Buhari

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.

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