Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih has reserved special praise for President Goodluck Jonathan for his demeanour in the aftermath of the Saturday, March 28, 2015 presidential which saw General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerge victorious.
Speaking via a two-page statement titled “Marching on With Hope” issued in Abuja on Monday, April 6, 2015, Anenih urged all politicians who felt hard done by in the elections to emulate the statesmanlike attitude of President Jonathan and support General Buhari in Nigeria’s march to greatness and prosperity.
He said: “A keenly contested presidential election, which many predicted would spell doom for Nigeria, has ended, gloriously, with everyone a winner.
“I congratulate the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, on his victory. Nigerians are expecting great things from him; it is my hope that he will take this great country to greater heights in the journey towards our manifest destiny.
“I salute the statesmanship of President Goodluck Jonathan, in conceding defeat, even before the official declaration of results was done. By this noble act, President Jonathan has made an indelible mark on the sands of time. History will be very kind to him.
“President Jonathan has worked, selflessly, to deepen democracy in Nigeria. His consistent advocacy of the rights of the people to freely choose their leaders had earlier yielded free, fair and credible elections in some states of the federation. Now, a peaceful transition is expected to follow after the general election.
“The 2015 presidential election, in which the incumbent president lost to the opposition, has become a source of pride to Nigeria. It has portrayed to the world that democracy in Nigeria compares to the best anywhere.
“I commend the General Abdulsalami Abubakar-led Peace Committee for its moral advocacy that culminated in the non-violent reception of the outcome of the presidential election.
“I am, also, happy that the presidential election has put a lie to the doomsday sayers. We have gone through the most critical of the elections and our country is at peace. Glory be to God!
“I congratulate all Nigerians on the success of the presidential and National Assembly elections and urge all and sundry to participate in the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections, with the same zeal and patriotism.
“More importantly, while there are genuine reasons to disagree with certain aspects of the conduct and outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections, I urge all those who may still be aggrieved, to emulate the magnanimity and selflessness of President Jonathan, so that our country may enjoy peace, which is a prerequisite of our march to greatness and prosperity.”
