Jonathan has nothing to fear, says Buhari

                                              President-elect, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has assured President Goodluck Jonathan that he has nothing to fear.

Buhari, in his acceptance speech after being declared the winner of Saturday’s presidential election and presented with certificate of return in Abuja on Wednesday, said “despite the rancour of the elections,” he harboured no grudge against anyone.

To prove this, he extended “a hand of friendship and conciliation to President Jonathan and his team.”

Buhari read a prepared speech in which he also reiterated his determination to end insurgency in the North-East, rescue the economy and stem corruption which he described as an evil worse than terrorism.

The President-elect, who was Head of State between 1983 and 1985, said even though there could be a disagreement between him and Jonathan over governance, the President remained a great Nigerian.

Obama, Cameron, others praise Buhari, Jonathan, Jega

                                                                               Obama, Cameron

GLOBAL leaders and organisations have congratulated Nigerians, especially the President-elect, Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), President Goodluck Jonathan and the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for the successful conduct of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly polls.

They said in separate statements on Wednesday that the orderly conduct of Nigerians during the elections and the acceptance of defeat by Jonathan were remarkable.

The leaders and organisations are the United States President Barack Obama; the United Kingdom Prime Minister, David Cameron; French President, Francois Hollande; South African President Jacob Zuma; United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the European Union,   the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission,   the African Union and the Commonwealth.

Police shut Ekiti Assembly as APC lawmakers resume

                                                       Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba

There was tension in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday as the 19 All Progressives Congress lawmakers stormed the Ekiti State House of Assembly to resume legislative duties.

Their return caught workers and the seven Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers loyal to Governor Ayodele Fayose unawares and created tension as officials of the Assembly hurriedly vacated their offices.

The return of the lawmakers followed Tuesday’s directive by the state secretariat of the APC asking them to resume legislative duties.

But over 100 soldiers and police operatives promptly took over the Assembly to maintain peace while the Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, ordered its immediate closure.

UK PM congratulates Buhari

                                                       British Prime Minister, David Cameron

The UK Prime  Minister,David Cameron, has released a statement congratulating the President-elect, Maj. Gen Buhari(retd.) on his victory at  the  presidential election.

Cameron, in a statement on www.gov.uk Wednesday said,”I send my warmest congratulations to General Buhari on being elected as Nigeria’s next President.

“This election has been a credit to the Nigerian people and a truly historic moment for Nigerian democracy.

Buhari salutes Nigerians’ resilience, courage

                                                President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, has saluted the resilience exhibited by Nigerians who trooped out in their numbers to vote in the just concluded Presidential election.

Buhari said this in an address he read in the early hours of Wednesday, after the official results of the elections were made public by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

He told party supporters that President Goodluck Jonathan called to congratulate him at exactly 5:15pm on Tuesday, (hours before the results were made public) to concede defeat and congratulate him. 
While describing President Jonathan as a statesman, the President-elect asked Nigerians to join him to appreciate the President for taking the path of honour.

According to him, President Jonathan engaged in a spirited campaign and was a worthy opponent.