PROMINENT Nigerians yesterday reacted to the victory of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) in the March 28 presidential elections describing it as a major leap for democracy not only in Nigeria but the whole of the black world.
Buhari’s victory, which is the first of such in the country’s political history and a novel occurrence in the African continent, actually tasked the commitment of Nigerians to the entrenchment of representative government.
The reactions were pouring in as the winning party; the All Progressive Congress (APC) began preparations for a “Thank You” speech from the President-elect amid calls by its leadership to Nigerians to “celebrate moderately.”
Buhari’s running mate as the presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2011, Pastor Tunde Bakare described the outcome of last Saturday’s poll as divine and that it will be of immense benefits to the nation.
He particularly commended Jonathan for calling Buhari even before the final details of the results were released saying “we thank God Almighty for this day and I praise President Goodluck Jonathan for his magnanimity. I can assure him that the nation will remember him in kindness and goodness.”
Speaking on the president-elect, he said, “I have no doubt in my mind that General Muhammadu Buhari will go down in the history of our nation as a great leader, who contributed immensely to nation building while discouraging corruption in the country. He is one of the prides of this country and a good example to coming generations that this country will not forget you if you persevere and keep to virtues, while shunning vices.”
Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Bamanga Tukur in his reaction praised the election of Buhari, and gave assurance that the party would return to power in a short time.
Tukur said that the core of those that made the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC) possible were original PDP members and that “there is no APC without PDP. The APC has only benefitted from the crisis within the party and there is nothing stopping the PDP from regaining its momentum, learning from its mistakes, repositioning itself and bouncing back bigger than ever before.
“Really, there is no way you can write the history of this country without allocating certain achievements to the PDP; even the emergence of this dispensation is one of such achievements. When I became the PDP leader I had programme of integration and respect for the party constituency. We have to believe in inclusiveness and African ways of doing things.”
Stressing that Buhari’s victory is a testimonial of viability of democracy in the country, Tukur said, “This is democracy at work. And the wish of the people has prevailed.”
He added that President Jonathan’s immediate reaction and the goodwill messages from other APC political rivals will help to deepen democracy in the country.
According to him, “Nigeria should be able to show leadership on the continent of Africa. We should be good example to be followed by other aspiring democracies on the continent. We must always, in the interest of the people, ensure a transition without much discord and without dislocation to the country as an indivisible entity. We are not there yet, but by God, I have no doubt in mind that we would get there.”
In their reactions, Professors Itse Sagay, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Akin Alao have also commended President Jonathan for what they described as a statemanly decision to concede victory to Buhari and for congratulating the APC candidate.
In separate interviews with The Guardian yesterday, the duo said Jonathan’s decision had saved the country violence and instability that could possibly greet a hard-line decision to do otherwise.
Sagay a professor of Law was of the view that the President had demonstrated a high sense of responsibility and a commitment to ensure peace and order in the country.
Sagay noted that by this action, the president had created an environment for amity that would create a good working relationship with in-coming President Buhari.
He further noted that with this decision the President had reduced the mental agony Nigerians suffered under what he called “16 years of PDP misrule.”
He said, “More importantly, the president by his action, has distanced himself and his party from the embarrassment displayed by the PDP agent at the collation centre in Abuja, Chief Godsday Orubebe who attempted to stop declarations of results from the presidential election.”
In his own comment, Alao a professor of History from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said the decision was the best thing to happen to the country at this period of its history.
Alao said Jonathan had proved that he was a genuine state-man and that “with this development Nigeria had proven that democracy is on course as this would give the country a remarkable leverage in the comity of nations.”
FORMER governor of Old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa commended President Jonathan for congratulating Buhari and accepting defeat honourably saying, “that was the most inspiring thing he has done. It was hopeful and it will go a long way to boost and encourage principle democracy in Nigeria. Even though he lost, Mr. President, by that action alone remains the winner.”
He however disagreed with the notion that the election was free and fair saying, “We cannot assume that election is free and fair when money bags is the deciding power. Although we can build on the achievements Jonathan made in the electoral reforms within the last couple of years.”
A member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Conference Colonel Tony Nyiam (rtd) gave the victory to Nigerians and principal actors like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former governor of Lagos, Bola Tinubu, Buhari and others.
He said President Jonathan would be vindicated by history for having put a refined electoral reform into place and yet refused to truncate it midway even when it did not favour him.
Executive Secretary, United Niger Delta Energy Security Strategy (UNDESS), Mr. Tony Uranta urged the entire supporters of President Jonathan to accept the result and place the large interest of the nation above all other interest “for us to move ahead.”
He saluted Jonathan for creating an enable environment and a wonderful legacy, for the first time that brought about victory for the opponent.
While he congratulated Buhari, Uranta called on Nigerians to give him the necessary support that will enable him drive the country to a safe haven in the nearest future.
Former Kwara State governor, Senator Bukola Saraki who got re-elected into the Senate last weekend gave the Buhari victory to the Nigerian people.
In a statement titled “O thee Nigerian people, This is You Victory”, Saraki said “I congratulate General Buhari on this historical and unprecedented victory, and urge him to view this triumph as the will of God, translated through the resilience of the people. I call on him to be magnanimous in victory and use his unique stature as a statesman to reunite the country and heal whatever cracks that maybe in the political demography due to the electioneering process.
“I also congratulate President Jonathan, and the PDP for a keenly contested race. The President has no doubt earned his place indelibly, in the history of the country.
Nigerians home and abroad have spoken in an unmistakable terms that Nigeria’s unity is guaranteed and that the people’s will must remain the compass for attaining power and exercising constitutional authority. Undoubtedly, this victory belongs to all Nigerians and we all look forward to a more inclusive government, where all Nigerians irrespective of their party, religious or ethnic leaning will freely without hindrance contribute to the new government that will take office on May 29th, 2015.”
LEADER of the Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Chief Reuben Fasoranti described the Buhari election as unprecedented in Nigerian history.
The octogenarian said the elections were transparently clear, free and fair in all the 36 states of the federation, though there were reported cases of the Smart Card Readers (SCRs) malfunctioning in some places.
Fasoranti lauded the use of the SCRs, as a new innovation in the elections, but said the new system was not perfect and gives room for improvement in the future.
He dispelled the call from some quarters on the INEC to cancel the elections due to the technical shortcomings in the use of the cards, saying, “It is clear from what we can see, fair, clear; no problem, no rigging. I hope we shall be able to follow this in future.”
He advised the incoming APC government at the national level to play politics that is free from bitterness, rancour and hatred by making the interest of the people paramount and the driving force of the new government; and not to jettison the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference in Abuja.
Factional leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero has commended President Jonathan for conceding defeat by congratulating Buhari on his victory, saying that this singular action will deepen the nation’s democracy.
According to Ajaero in a statement in Kaduna, Jonathan has taken the country away from the narrow perception of pessimists who did not believes that Nigeria will survive the 2015 general elections.
He said, “we congratulate Nigeria and Nigerians on the successful conduct of the 2015 Presidential and National Assembly elections. We congratulate the newly elected President, General Buhari. Our congratulation goes to President Jonathan for conceding defeat to General Buhari in this historic free and fair election. We salute him for this unprecedented statesmanship”.
EDO State governor, Adams Oshiomhole yesterday joined other Nigerians to congratulate Buhari saying his victory represents a new dawn in the nation’s polity.
In a statement directed at the president-elect, the governor said, “the spread of your victory across the length and breadth of the country shows your national acceptance as the man Nigeria needs at this critical
stage to reposition her from the 16 years of misrule of the PDP.
“Despite the smear campaigns against your person and candidature and the attempts to polarize the country along ethnic and religious lines, Nigerians made a bold statement by speaking through their ballots that you are, indeed, the President they want at this time of our national history.
“I have implicit confidence that, with you as President, Nigeria will no doubt get a true and selfless leadership needed to drive the much-desired change at the centre which will be the catalyst for developmental revolution across the country.
“Your pedigree as a former Head of State and the indelible imprint you left at that time are still being felt across the country. Your doggedness and victory at the fourth attempt will serve as an inspiration to many, never to give up on a dream that is worth living.
“While I give kudos to the Presidential candidates of the other parties for a gallant fight, I urge them to join hands with the President-elect to move the nation to the next level. Just like Abraham Lincoln said: “elections belong to the people. It’s their decision.” Nigerians have indeed spoken! “
A chieftain of the PDP in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke has congratulated the President-elect saying the “victory is a testimony to the supremacy of the power of the electorate in a democracy.”
In as statement signed by his media assistant, Rotimi Ogunleye, Oke said “The president-elect worked, persevered and dedicated to his aspiration, today; the majority of Nigerians have chosen you through their votes. It has been a long work to victory.
“I congratulate all lovers of democracy particularly members of the PDP in Ondo state who have kept faith with and discharge our duties to the party despite all odds. Poor leadership, injustice and mismanagement of opportunities available to the party are the vices that sentenced the party out of power.”
The Lawmaker representing Rivers South-East in the National Assembly Senator Magnus Abe also congratulated Buhari on his victory at the presidential poll.
Abe spoke in reaction to Buhari’s emergence as President-elect, describing the victory as a manifestation of the change the people yearned for.
He urged Nigerians to see the victory anchored on their votes as victory for democracy; saying finally impunity, corruption and insecurity will now be things of the past.
“A new chapter has been open in the history of our country; we are now sure of a stable economy and true democracy; Nigeria now has a future; we have our country back”, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) declared.”
The Senator saluted those he called fathers of Nigeria’s march to greatness, among them Governor Chibuike Amaechi for their resilience in the face of unwarranted persecutions, intimidation and oppression; saying posterity will remember their doggedness, tenacity and perseverance in the quest for a secure future for the country.
However former Minister of Transport and member PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Ebenezer Babatope said it is unfortunate that the INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega succeeded in allocating power to his kinsmen in the north and by so doing, returned the country to neo-colonialism of the northern hegemony.
He said “this victory will soon dawn on the South and Nigerians because Jega has successfully returned us to the era of the First and Second republics where the north dominated everything.”
While wishing the APC well over the victory, Babatope vowed never to have anything to do with the party.
On the fact that President Jonathan congratulated Buhari and accepted defeat, the former minister said, “Mr. President has acted true to character because he is a humble man and a statesman but the PDP will deliberate on the outcome of the election later and take appropriate action. It is clear that the APC has manipulated itself into power through the activities of a man called Jega.”
