The Former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar has commended President Goodluck Jonathan (Peoples Democratic Party) for conceding defeat to the All Progressives Congress Presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari for winning Saturday’s election.
Abdulsalami, who is the Head of the 2015 Elections Peace Committee, gave the commendation while speaking with State House correspondents after his committee met President Jonathan at the new Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
He said that the committee was in the Villa to ensure peace was maintained in the country and that he was happy that President Jonathan had already called Gen. Buhari before the committee arrived at the Villa.
He said: “We were here to ensure peace is maintained at this moment we thank Nigerians and all international community who came to support during the elections.
“The elections have been very peaceful despite the hitches here and there. At the end of the elections, at the counting that there are 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. 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 proven to be a man of his word because during our interaction on this peace committee he has always maintained that he is going to accept the result of the elections whichever way it is done. And he has proved this.
“And I think we need Nigerians, all of us to join hands in making sure we assist him in the peaceful handing over. And I will appeal to all politicians those who are celebrating and those who are sorrowing to please give peace a chance to be moderate.”
He went on: “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. On behalf of Nigerians I want to thank President Jonathan for being the statesman that he is, he has approved 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 that any Nigerian who is aggrieved has the electoral laws to exploit to seek 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 please go and raise any eyebrow and cause any destabilization of this country,” he stated
Members of the Peace Committee that met the President included former military Chief of General Staff, Naval Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe; Cardinal John Onaiyekan; Primate of the Anglican Church (Nigerian Communion), Nicholas Okoh; former president of the Nigeria Bar Association, Priscilia Kuye; the President’s Special Adviser on Inter-party Affairs, Ben Obi; and prominent industrialist, Aliko Dangote.
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