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 my team
and me.
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
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 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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