The Verdict With Edozie: Buhari – Congratulations Nigerians

 

"As much I would love my Candidate to win the presidential election tomorrow, nevertheless, my greatest desire is to see a credible election in Nigeria, devoid of rigging and violence. A free and fair election will be the foundation for economic and political development I Nigeria. I do fervently pray that we get it right this time. God bless Nigeria"

 

Those were my words to Nigerians on the eve of the Presidential Election.  To a reasonable extent, I would say that my desire was met. Despite the fears and challenges, Nigeria recorded a relatively peaceful election. Most importantly, this election was a remarkable improvement from the past. The card reader was finally used, although manual accreditations took place in some areas. Whatever the case, it was largely a peaceful exercise.

 

Follow us on twitter @SkytrendNews 

 

I want to congratulate Nigerians for staging a peaceful election. We should all be proud of what we have achieved collectively. Unfortunately, only one winner can emerge per time. But politics is not a zero sum game. We are all winners if we accept the outcome in good faith. We all need to have the spirit of sportsmanship.

 

I also want to congratulate General Buhari on his success at the polls. The challenge facing him is to heal the wounds caused by the electioneering campaign. Most importantly, he needs to unite the Country and be a father figure devoid of bitterness and pettiness. 

 

Yes, I wanted President Jonathan to win, but he didn't win. Such is life. Life goes on. Nigeria moves on. Let's accept the results in good faith. We must display the spirit of sportsmanship. Politics is not a zero sum game. It's not winner takes all. We are all winners if we display maturity and sportsmanship. President Jonathan is the real hero of our time. By this singular gesture, he has saved Nigeria from crisis and bloodshed. God bless President Jonathan. He is the first incumbent to concede defeat in good faith. That is a proof of strength, not weakness. Sometimes a leader may not be properly appreciated until he quits the stage. I admire him a lot, especially for his democratic inclination and liberality. He is our own Mandela. History will be kind to him. Again, I want to use this opportunity to congratulate General Buhari on his victory. He needs to be magnanimous in victory, be statesmanlike and never become vindictive. He needs to build bridges across ethnic and religious lines and offer a dynamic leadership to Nigeria. We are expecting him to march his words with action. The change promised is now being awaited.

 

Finally, I want to thank President Jonathan for his selfless service to Nigeria, especially for being a true democrat and for initiating the electoral reforms in Nigeria. It is an incontrovertible fact that he started the revolution for credible elections in Nigeria. It is my fervent hope that our democratic institutions would be strengthened to the betterment of Nigeria.

 

God bless Nigeria.

 

You can follow the writer on twitter @edoekeiyi