Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan has given reasons why he had to concede victory to President Muhammadu Buhari, during the 2015 presidential elections, while the election results were still being collated.
Jonathan said that having helped to stabilise democracy in four other West African countries including Niger, Mali, Guinea Bissau and Cote d’Ivoire, he decided to leave a stable country by ensuring peaceful transition of power.
Jonathan made this known at the Bloomberg Studios Event Space, London, United Kingdom. In his speech entitled, Civis Nigerianus Sum- (I am a citizen of Nigeria), Jonathan pledged to channel his energies towards upholding democratic principles, promoting peaceful political transitions and supporting citizen entrepreneurship and intra-Africa trade through the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation.
“I said before the last election that my political ambition was not worth the blood of one Nigerian. I was true to my word when on March 16, 2015, just after the election, when the results were still being collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, I called my opponent, General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd, to concede, in order to avoid any conflict and ensure a peaceful transition of power.
“Some may think, it is ironic that perhaps my proudest achievement was not winning the 2015 presidential election.
“By being the first elected Nigerian leader to willingly hand over power via the ballot box, to the opposition party; without contesting the election outcome, I proved to the ordinary man or woman in the country that I was his or her equal.
“For it has always been my consistent desire to help consolidate peace and cultivate democracy in Nigeria and across the continent. “In fact, it was the key foreign policy objective of my administration when we were able to help broker peace and restore democracy in Niger, Mali, Guinea Bissau and Cote d’Ivoire.”
Jonathan said that having helped to stabilise democracy in four other West African countries including Niger, Mali, Guinea Bissau and Cote d’Ivoire, he decided to leave a stable country by ensuring peaceful transition of power.
Jonathan made this known at the Bloomberg Studios Event Space, London, United Kingdom. In his speech entitled, Civis Nigerianus Sum- (I am a citizen of Nigeria), Jonathan pledged to channel his energies towards upholding democratic principles, promoting peaceful political transitions and supporting citizen entrepreneurship and intra-Africa trade through the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation.
“I said before the last election that my political ambition was not worth the blood of one Nigerian. I was true to my word when on March 16, 2015, just after the election, when the results were still being collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, I called my opponent, General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd, to concede, in order to avoid any conflict and ensure a peaceful transition of power.
“Some may think, it is ironic that perhaps my proudest achievement was not winning the 2015 presidential election.
“By being the first elected Nigerian leader to willingly hand over power via the ballot box, to the opposition party; without contesting the election outcome, I proved to the ordinary man or woman in the country that I was his or her equal.
“For it has always been my consistent desire to help consolidate peace and cultivate democracy in Nigeria and across the continent. “In fact, it was the key foreign policy objective of my administration when we were able to help broker peace and restore democracy in Niger, Mali, Guinea Bissau and Cote d’Ivoire.”
