Former military Head of State and Chairman of the National Peace Committee for the 2015 general elections, Abdulsalami Abubakar has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat and congratulating the president-elect and winner of the presidential election, General Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking to State House correspondents after leading members of the Peace Committee to a closed-door meeting with President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Abubakar advised all political stakeholders to emulate President Jonathan, who he said was the first President in the history of the country to congratulate the victor in an election.
He said: “We are here to ensure peace is maintained at this moment. We thank Nigerians and all international community who came to support us during the elections.
“The elections have been very peaceful despite the hitches here and there. At the end of the elections, at the counting, 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 5:15pm and congratulated him and conceded defeat.
“We were spellbound 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 maintains a point that the blood of Nigerians is not worth his Presidency and by his action, he has proven that.
“He has proven that he is 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 proven this.
“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 proved 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.
“For any Nigerian, who is aggrieved, the electoral law has procedures for seeking redress, 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.”
